Four Lost Years
by RoniAllan
Summary: In this story, Darcy and Elizabeth do not meet after they parted in Hunsford for four years. Many events happen in both of their lives and families during this time. HEA
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

Wails and lamentations, originating from the sitting room where the two youngest Bennet daughters and their mother were to be found, penetrated into every room at Longbourn, even through the closed door of Mr. Bennet's bookroom. The reason for this noise was very simple—the ladies had heard that the militia regiment that had been encamped in their winter quarters near Meryton was about to be transferred to their summer quarters near Brighton. In spite of the vociferous pleas and entreaties from these three ladies, Mr. Bennet would not consider taking the family to Brighton for the summer. Both Kitty and Lydia had greatly enjoyed flirting with the red-coated soldiers all winter, while their mother had hoped that at least one of her daughters would have captured an officer for a husband before they left the area.

Lydia's gloom was soon dispelled when she received an invitation from Mrs. Forster, the young wife of the regiment's Colonel, to come to Brighton as her particular friend. While Lydia and her mother were enraptured by this invitation, the news was not received well by either Elizabeth or Kitty. Kitty was disappointed not to have been invited as well, arguing that she should have been as she was two years older than Lydia. The fact that she had never been as friendly with Mrs. Forster as Lydia did not seem to register in her mind. Elizabeth, knowing how dangerous Wickham's predilections towards young girls were, worried that Mrs. Forster was simply too young to act as a proper chaperone for her youngest sister. She knew that if Lydia was allowed to act in her normal unseemly manner in Brighton, her uncontrolled behaviour may become so outrageous that it could lead to a scandal that would have very serious consequences on the whole Bennet family. At worst, they could all be disgraced and shunned by their neighbours, which would result in their chances of marrying decent gentlemen to be virtually nil.

Elizabeth was worried that her father would be tempted to allow Lydia to accept this invitation as it would be the easiest course for him to follow to achieve his primary desire in life, which was for peace and quiet in the house so he could enjoy his favourite pastime, which was reading. Elizabeth argued that Lydia's lack of common sense, her tendency to act in an unrestrained manner, especially with red-coated officers, and the unsuitability of Mrs. Forster to serve as her chaperone, were all valid reasons why he should not let her go to Brighton. However, she was not able to tell him the details of Wickham's attempt to elope with Mr. Darcy's sister, who was about the same age as Lydia, as that tale had been told to her in confidence. Thus, her father discounted her warnings as being too general and apparently unsupported by specific details of Wickham's depravities.

While her father appeared to listen to his favourite daughter attentively, he said, "Lydia will never be easy until she has exposed herself in some public place or other, and we can never expect her to do it with so little expense or inconvenience to her family as under the present circumstances." With these words, Elizabeth realized that her father was going to agree to Lydia's request as it was easier to let her go than to refuse her and suffer from the inevitable lamentations that would result from both Lydia and his wife. Elizabeth continued to plead with him until he finally gave her a small concession.

"Lizzy, I can see that you are very determined in your arguments. As I respect your intelligence and opinion, I have to listen to your arguments. I will concede that what you are saying does bear considering. Lydia is certainly one of the silliest girls in all of England and if she acts in any way that would disgrace herself, her actions could reflect on all her sisters, including you. Would it satisfy you if I asked Colonel Forster to keep a close watch on Lydia? I will tell him that if he is concerned that she is behaving in an unrestrained manner, he should immediately contact me and I will personally go to Brighton to bring her home."

Elizabeth knew that this was all the concession that she would receive from her father, so she reluctantly agreed. She still worried that even if her father went to Brighton to bring Lydia home, it would only be after she had acted outrageously. That could be too late to prevent all of the Bennets from being humiliated if word of her behaviour became known; however, she could only hope for the best.

Her worries about her youngest sister did not lessen her happiness for her older sister when, several weeks after Lydia had gone to Brighton, they heard that Netherfield was to be reopened as Mr. Bingley was returning to Hertfordshire. When their mother heard this news, she immediately said, "Jane! I knew that your beauty would save us all! I knew that Mr. Bingley could not have forgotten you so easily. Come upstairs. We have to look through your wardrobe to see what gown you should wear when he comes. I will get Mr. Bennet to go visit him to ensure that he comes for that family dinner that he promised to take with us before he left."

Her entreaties to her husband to go to Netherfield to welcome Mr. Bingley were in vain. Her husband continued with his favourite sport, which was to tease her. "Why should I go again? You promised that he would choose one of our daughters to be his wife when he first came, but that all came to naught. Why should I go again on a fool's errand?"

His resistance to his wife's pleas was all for nothing as Mr. Bingley appeared at Longbourn the very next morning after his return. While he appeared to greet each member of the family individually, his eyes were only directed at Jane. Both Bingley and Jane blushed charmingly. Elizabeth smiled at them, expecting that their feelings for each other had remained just as strong as they had ever been, even after the passage of so many months apart. Remembering Lizzy's exhortations, over the next few days Jane tried to show her regard for him more than she had when he had been here in the autumn. She smiled more warmly at him, looked him in the eye more than she had, and even tried to be so forward as to press herself closer to him whenever she took his arm. While she found this last behaviour to be very difficult for her to do the first couple of times, she soon found that their physical closeness resulted in unusual feelings that she had never experienced before. She liked to feel the warmth of his arm against her. Mr. Bingley's obvious enjoyment of her smiles and her pressing herself against him showed her that her efforts were not in vain. He offered her his arm much more than he had before so he could enjoy her charms.

In Jane's mind, she kept hearing the urgings of both Elizabeth and Charlotte to 'show him your regard' and 'not to be reticent in her appreciation of him.' Thus, just two weeks after he had returned, when they were walking in Longbourn's gardens, they sat closely together on a secluded bench. She leaned against him and smiled up at him, looking directly into his eyes. What red-blooded male could resist such an appeal from a beautiful woman? Not even a man as shy as Mr. Bingley; he accepted her unspoken invitation and kissed her, very gently at first. When Jane leaned into the kiss, he dared even more and put his arms around her to pull her close to him while kissing her more passionately.

When their lips parted, she sighed, "Oh, Charles! I have wanted you to do that for so long. That was my very first kiss, but I hope not the last." She then whispered very quietly, "Charles, my love."

That was all it took for him to kiss her again, even more ardently. The kiss and the feel of her pressing against his chest nearly undid him. He was so tempted to run his hands all over her, to savour her very appealing attributes, to extend the delicious feelings flowing from his lips and chest to his hands to feel even more of her. The fact that she was not at all resisting him, but even seemed to be encouraging him, was nearly too much for him. Somewhere, deep inside him, he knew that he had to stop while he still could. He parted his lips from her and murmured. "Jane! Loveliest Jane. I love you. I have loved you for a long time. I should never have left you. Will you be my wife?"

Jane felt the tears flowing as she said, "Yes! Yes! I want to be your wife more than anything else in the world. Oh Charles!"

Bingley had to show his great appreciation of this answer, which he did as only lovers can. When he finally managed to separate from her, he said, "I will go to talk to your father right away. You are of age, so I will ask only for his blessing." They rose so they could go in to the house, where he found Mr. Bennet in his library. "Good afternoon, Mr. Bennet."

"Good afternoon to you, Bingley. What can I do for you this fine day?"

"I have asked for your daughter's hand in marriage and she has agreed. I have come to ask for your blessing."

Mr. Bennet could not resist teasing this pleasant gentleman, even though he knew exactly whom he had asked to marry. "I have five daughters. Which one would you like to have?"

Mr. Bennet continued to tease Bingley, but eventually gave his blessing to this union when he saw how flustered he was making poor Bingley. They then went to find the rest of the family to spread the good news. Their announcement was greeted most vociferously by Mrs. Bennet, who had intended Mr. Bingley for her oldest daughter even before he had arrived at Netherfield the previous fall. The other three Bennet sisters who were still at Longbourn hugged Jane and congratulated her. The only sister who felt a bit of regret at Jane's announcement was Kitty, as she knew that Lydia would not be pleased as she had wanted to be the first sister married.

Both Bingley and Jane agreed that they did not want a long engagement, which did not sit well with Mrs. Bennet who argued that she needed more time to organize their wedding, which she said would be the social event of the year in all of Meryton. They finally settled on a date in early July, with both betrothed parties saying they would not wait for as long as Mrs. Bennet had requested.

When Mr. Bingley and Jane were drawing up their guest list, Elizabeth looked for Mr. Darcy's name, but she did not see it. When she had a chance, she asked Jane about this omission. "Lizzy, I also noticed that his name was not listed and I asked Charles about it. He said that when Mr. Darcy returned from Kent after Easter, he went to tell him that he had been wrong about the strength of my feelings for him. Apparently, they then had a big argument. Charles said he was very upset with his friend and accused him of interfering with his happiness. Charles is still angry at him and has not contacted him since that confrontation. He said that he no longer considered Mr. Darcy to be his friend and will not have him at his wedding. I was surprised at his anger as he is usually so friendly and easygoing with everyone. I believe that they will eventually reconnect and become friends again, but I cannot say when that will happen. If Mr. Darcy is as stubborn and proud as you say, I know that Charles will have to be the one to make the first approach if there is to be a reconciliation between them."

Elizabeth was astonished at Mr. Bingley's anger as it was completely opposite to his normal character; he had always been so even-tempered with everyone that he met. She regretted this severing of their friendship as she had hoped she would see Mr. Darcy at the wedding, if only to be able to determine how he would react to her after their acrimonious parting at Hunsford. After reading and rereading the letter that he had given her when she last saw him, she began to realize that the actions of which she had accused him in her rejection of his proposal were not all based on accurate facts. She now knew that she should not have trusted Mr. Wickham's words. That she had misread the characters of both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham bothered her as she had always prided herself on her ability to ascertain a person's qualities accurately. This caused her to wonder what other errors she might have made about other people.

Jane's wedding was a spectacular affair; a great credit to her mother's planning. Everyone who attended either the ceremony or the wedding breakfast had nothing but praise for her efforts. Many people were surprised that Lydia did not return home from Brighton for her sister's wedding. She had been invited and encouraged to come home for it, but she said that she was having much too much fun in Brighton to disrupt her enjoyment of all the entertainments and officers she had met there. What fun could be had in Meryton if there were no red-coated officers there? As their mother sympathized with Lydia's arguments not to leave Brighton, she accepted her decision not to come to the wedding.

Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and their four children came from London and the children were almost overwhelmed with all the activities taking place in and around Longbourn. The timing of Jane's wedding almost disrupted the Gardiners' plan to take a leisurely tour of the North Country. They had planned to leave their children at Longbourn in Jane's care and take Elizabeth with them on their tour. While Elizabeth said that she was willing to forego the pleasures of this trip to replace Jane as the children's principal caregiver, Kitty and Mary surprised her by volunteering to take responsibility to look after the children. This plan was just barely acceptable to the Gardiners as they did not have as much confidence in these sisters as they did with the oldest two, but they eventually concluded that the two of them could be trusted, in addition to the children's nurse, to look after the children. They did not consider that Mrs. Bennet's assistance would be of much help and might even have a harmful effect on their children as they knew that her delicate nerves may not be able to tolerate the additional noise that their four young children could make.


	2. Chapter 2

Immediately after the wedding, Jane and her new husband left on a honeymoon tour that was to last about six weeks.

The Gardiners and Elizabeth left the day after the wedding on their trip to the North. Because of Mr. Gardiner's growing business, they were not able to spend as much time as they had originally planned, so they spent most of their time in Derbyshire instead of the Lake Country. As Mrs. Gardiner had been raised in the village of Lambton, this was where they spent most of their time so she could reconnect with people that she had previously known. They even toured the grand estate of Pemberley in spite of Elizabeth's reluctance to go anywhere near the place. She did not want to meet Mr. Darcy there as it would have been too embarrassing for the both of them after how acrimoniously they had parted in Hunsford. Elizabeth agreed to tour the estate only after she heard that the Darcys were not in residence at the moment. She was very impressed by the magnificence and elegance of Pemberley's house, gardens, and extensive woods. When she thought that she could have been mistress of all that she saw, she felt pangs of regret about her decision.

She was astonished when the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, described Mr. Darcy as "the sweetest, most generous-hearted boy in the world." She added that he was the kindest of masters and said, "I have never heard a cross word from him in my life." Elizabeth was confused at this description of him as she had had the distinct impression from his behaviour in Meryton that he was unbearably arrogant and proud. She could not reconcile this view of him with her own opposite opinion, but she assumed that such words from a senior staff member who had known him for so long must be reliable. She began to wonder if he acted so differently when he was at home compared to how he was among people he did not know so well. Was it possible that he was only overly reserved among strangers and found it difficult to form friendships with new acquaintances?

After touring the manor house, they were passed to the head gardener for a tour of the extensive flower beds and gardens. Again, these were not overly formal, but the many graveled paths invited them to wander and enjoy the many different flowers that were then in bloom. Elizabeth especially liked the roses for their many bright colours and pleasant smells. Everywhere she looked, she found nothing but beauty surrounding her.

When they finally left Lambton to begin their slow journey home, she was still confused. Just touring the magnificent house and gardens forced her to reconsider her thoughts about Mr. Darcy. How could such a proud and haughty gentleman be responsible for such beauty and the high approval of his staff? Did Pemberley reflect the good taste of its master? Had she misunderstood him all along? She had a lot to think about.

Not long after Jane's wedding, Mr. Bennet was not overly surprised to receive a letter from Colonel Forster in Brighton. Mr. Bennet had worried that Elizabeth would prove to be correct in her fears about Lydia's behaviour while she was out of their immediate control. Colonel Forster wrote that while Miss Lydia had acted quite properly when she was first in Brighton, recently her conduct was becoming more reckless and his wife did not seem to be able to restrain her. He said that if her behaviour continued to get worse, he feared that it could lead to irreparable damage to her reputation. There were just too many officers and entertainments to keep track of what she was doing at all times. The Colonel asked Mr. Bennet to come to Brighton to take her back home as soon as he was able.

Naturally, this letter caused an uproar at Longbourn as Mrs. Bennet discounted the Colonel's concerns. She did not want to limit Lydia's time in Brighton and could not believe that she would do anything that might reflect badly on the whole family. When her husband stated his intent to go to Brighton to bring Lydia home, she tried to convince him not to go. However, he was adamant that he had to go, remembering his promise to Elizabeth. When Mrs. Bennet found that he would not be dissuaded, she said that she wanted to go with him as it had been a very long time since she had been in that seaside town. Mr. Bennet was not enthusiastic about having his wife's company, but he finally gave in and agreed to let her go with him.

Being cooped up in their carriage with his wife on the trip to Brighton was as bad as he had feared. She was so excited that she talked incessantly about the many delights they would find there and the good times that she had had in that town before she was married. When they arrived in Brighton, they drove straight to the guest house that Colonel Forster had recommended. This proved to be a large two-story house in a respectable area of the town, and not too far from the military encampment.

They were lucky as they managed to book two separate rooms near the top of the main staircase. When they were settled in their rooms, it was too late to go to the military camp that day, so they had dinner and retired for the night. The next morning, they went to the camp and were eventually directed to Colonel Forster's headquarters. The encampment was quite large as many regiments were gathered there for the summer. The Colonel was expecting them as Mr. Bennet had sent a message to say that they were coming to take Lydia home. The Colonel took them to the house that he had rented and they found Lydia there with Mrs. Forster. Lydia was amazed to see her parents as she had not been told by the Colonel that he had written to them.

Mrs. Bennet greeted her daughter with a hug, "Lydia! How wonderful to see you! Is this not a great surprise! It has been a long time since I was in Brighton, so I wanted to see it again. How have you been enjoying your stay here? It is wonderful to see so many fine officers in their red coats. This is like being in heaven."

"Mother! What are you doing here? I did not know that you were coming."

"Your Father decided that you have been here long enough, so he wanted to come to bring you home. I convinced him to let me come with him, so here we are. I was here many years ago and remember how delightful a town it is. How have you been enjoying your stay?"

After his wife and daughter gushed over the many events and conquests that Lydia had made, Mr. Bennet finally managed to speak of their returning to Longbourn. While he was keen to return home as soon as possible, his wife and daughter managed to convince him to stay in Brighton for just a couple more days so they could enjoy some of the entertainments before they left. Lydia was especially eager to attend the officers' ball that was scheduled in just two days. Mrs. Forster graciously extended invitations to this ball to Lydia's parents. Mr. Bennet had planned to have Lydia come to stay with them immediately so she could be more under his control, but their rooming house did not have any more rooms available. He reluctantly had to leave her under the care of the Forsters, but made plans to leave for home the morning after the officers' ball.

Mr. Bennet did insist that Lydia would be with them every day until they left for home. She was returned to the Forsters' residence only late in the day and he insisted that she not be allowed to go anywhere without them. Lydia was not happy about this, but was given no choice in the matter. They were busy every day, touring the beach, the town, and visiting several exhibitions. The day of the ball arrived; Lydia and her mother prevailed upon Mr. Bennet to allow Lydia to go back to the Forsters' residence in plenty of time to dress in her finest.

Mr. Bennet, as was his custom, did not want to attend the ball at all, but he decided that he could not permit his wife and daughter to go without him. His reluctance to go was strengthened by an upset stomach, which he feared was caused by something that he had eaten that day. When they arrived at the ball, Lydia was immediately surrounded by officers requesting her hand for dances. Her dance card was quickly filled. Similarly, Mrs. Bennet's hand was also solicited for dancing, so her card was also soon filled. Even though she was a mature lady, the shortage of young ladies that evening made many of the officers who wanted to dance consider her as an acceptable partner. Of course, she was delighted to find herself so popular with the officers.

Mr. Bennet did not plan to dance at all, especially as his stomach continued to bother him. In fact, it got worse during the evening, so bad that he decided that they should all go home at the supper break. When he suggested that, both his wife and daughter were aghast as they were both having so much fun. They had danced every dance and had partaken liberally of the punch, which, as several officers had secretly managed to add their own contributions to the mix, made them quite light-headed. While Mr. Bennet was trying to convince them to leave right away, Colonel and Mrs. Forster overhead them and, at his wife's entreaties, the Colonel assured Mr. Bennet that he would look after the ladies and make sure that they would both be escorted home safely. As Mr. Bennet was feeling so miserable, he agreed and left without them.

As might be expected, the Bennet ladies had an even better time without his hovering presence. Lieutenant Wickham paid very close attention to both of them and made sure their glasses were always filled to the brim. When the final tune was played, Colonel Forster, as he promised, took control of Lydia and she left for his house with his wife. He was going to drive Mrs. Bennet to her rooming house, but, as this was out of the way, he agreed when Wickham offered to escort her himself. The Colonel was not completely comfortable with this plan, but he was sure that Mrs. Bennet would be much safer with the lieutenant than if Wickham had asked to escort her daughter. He certainly would not have agreed to such a scheme. He was still a bit worried about Mrs. Bennet as it was obvious that she was feeling the effects of the many glasses of punch that she had drunk.

When Wickham and Mrs. Bennet arrived at her temporary residence, he helped her from the carriage and had to hang on to her when she stumbled on getting out. He saw that she was feeling no pain and was very giddy; she kept giggling about what a fine specimen of an officer he was. He gallantly said, "My dear lady, will you allow me to escort you in as I want to make sure that you make it safely? My concern is that the cobblestones are rough and I do not want you to fall and hurt yourself."

Mrs. Bennet was giggling like a young girl and agreed. She held on to his arm tightly and pressed herself against him while they went to the door. The outer door was not locked, so he opened it for her. "My dear Mr. Wickham, my room is at the top of these stairs. I am not sure I can navigate them alone. Would you mind lending me your arm while we go up?"

Wickham had not planned, nor expected, that she would allow him to escort her right to her room, but he proved his gallantry by acquiescing and they slowly made it up the steps with her holding on to him tightly. "Which is your room?" he said when they reached the top.

"Right here." She whispered to him, "I may need some help with my buttons. Would you be a gentleman and help a lady in distress?" With these words she pulled him into her room, closed the door, turned to him, and pressed her bountiful assets against his chest. Now, Wickham's clear preference had always been for impressionable young women and even younger girls, so he did not usually think of women of Mrs. Bennet's age in any carnal way. She must be at least 40! However, she was here, her bed was near, and she was obviously available right here and now for whatever he wanted from her. He had no qualms about using her even though she had drunk so much punch that she could barely stand. As he had not been successful with the fairer sex since he had arrived in Brighton, he was in need of the kind of relief that she was clearly eager to provide. He remembered a colleague saying, in his praise of older women, 'They do not yell, they do not tell, and they are as grateful as h*ll.' So Wickham gratefully accepted her offer and gave the lady what she wanted. But he hated these noisy old beds! The noise almost enough to distract him from his energetic exertions with the lady. However, once he was fully engaged, nothing could have distracted him from finishing what he had started.


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Bennet had gone straight to bed when he arrived back in his room earlier in the evening. He came awake to a strange noise—something was thumping and it was noisy enough to wake him. At first, he did not know where he was, but the light coming from the window was sufficient to remind him that he was in Brighton and not in his familiar room at Longbourn. The thumping continued, increased in tempo to a crescendo, then suddenly stopped. He thought that the noise was someone pounding on the wall next to his bed, but it was not that. He realized it was coming from the room next door; then he remembered that this was where his wife was sleeping. He thought that he had better see if she was all right. It had almost sounded as if she were having some kind of seizure.

He found his robe and pulled it on, then went out to the hallway. As he was walking toward the door to his wife's room, he saw someone come out of it, look down the hall the other way, then close the door. Mr. Bennet could see that it was a man wearing a red coat—an officer!

"Hey! What are you doing, coming out of my wife's room? Who are you?" The officer turned to him. "Wickham! Why were you in my wife's room? What is going on?" Mr. Bennet was not stupid. He put two and two together and realized what the thumping had been. He went up to Wickham and punched him right in the nose as hard as he could. Wickham yelled in pain and Mr. Bennet continued to yell at him.

Wickham was much younger, stronger, and faster, but the blow caught him by surprise. It hurt and he could feel blood streaming down his face. Bennet continued to swing at him, so Wickham pushed the older man away from him as hard as he could. He had not realized that Mr. Bennet's back was right at the top of the stairs until he stumbled back with his arms flailing for balance. Mr. Bennet seemed to fall in slow motion down the stairs, crashing every several steps until he hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs. There, he lay motionless, facing upwards.

Wickham took a step forward until he was right at the top of the stairs. He looked down and saw the older man was not moving. He turned around to see if there was time to escape, but he saw that several people had opened their doors when they heard all the noise. They were gaping at him. He knew he was in trouble but thought that he might be able to run down the stairs and out the front door. However, before he had a chance to run, he saw that a woman was now standing by Mr. Bennet's body, looking up right at him. She turned and opened the front door, yelling, "Help! Murder! Murder! Someone help me!"

The woman was the landlady whose room was on the ground floor. She had also been awakened by the shouting and went out into the hall to see what was going on. It happened that two officers were just passing by in the street. She saw the officers and shouted, "Help me! A red-coated officer just pushed a gentleman down the stairs and killed him! Help me!"

The officers knew they could not ignore her as the general in charge of the whole camp had stressed how he expected every officer and man to be on their best behaviour with the local population as he needed their goodwill and cooperation. This was the worst possible scenario. The officers, a major and a captain, immediately went in and saw the body at the foot of the stairs. They then looked up and saw a lieutenant still looking down at the body. The major shouted up the stairs, "Lieutenant, we see you! Come down at once!"

Wickham knew he was in big trouble. He did not recognize the officers, so he thought that he still might be able to escape. He looked around, looking for somewhere to go; anywhere! He knew that he could not just hide as he would soon be found. Ignoring the occupants who were still gaping at him, he ran down the longer hallway towards the back of the house, hoping that there would be a rear staircase.

When his disappeared from the top of the stairs, the major said to the woman, "Is there a rear staircase? Where does it come out?"

The landlady pointed down the hall, "It comes out down there."

The two officers turned and ran the way she had pointed. When they reached the end of the hall, they found the bottom of the back stairs and heard feet pounding down them. When Wickham reached the bottom, he saw the officers and tried to jump out of their grasp. However, the captain stuck his foot out and caught Wickham's legs; he went sprawling. The captain immediately jumped on his back, grabbing one arm. The major grabbed the other arm, holding him tight.

They realized that they could use more help, so he yelled, "Madam, see if there are any other soldiers on the street. Tell them a major needs their help at once."

She went out and saw two common soldiers coming towards her on the street. "You there! A major needs help in here. You had better come at once." They came in and she pointed down the hall where the three officers were struggling. "Help them!"

They went to help and their extra weight was all that was needed to subdue Wickham. The major stood up and addressed the landlady, "Madam, would you happen to have some rope or strong cord so we can tie him up? He does not want to cooperate."

She went into a room and came out with some rope. The captain soon had Wickham trussed up with his hands tied behind his back. Wickham realized the perilous position that he was in, so he said, "Major, it was an accident! He was angry at me for some unknown reason and he swung at me. He lost his balance and fell down the stairs. I did not touch him. I am innocent!"

The major saw all the blood on the lieutenant's face and doubted this version of the events. He took charge and said, "You soldiers, help him up. Do not let him escape or it will be your necks that will be in danger." By saying this, they all realized that the punishment for murder was death by hanging. This frightened Wickham more than anything. He hoped that his charm might still be able to get him out of the perilous situation that he was in.

Before Wickham had a chance to say anything, the soldiers stood him on his feet and marched him down the hall to the front door. The major went to the body and checked to see if he was actually dead. When he was satisfied that there was no sign of life, he knew he had to get evidence so that the lieutenant would be properly punished. "Captain, we need written statements from all these witnesses about what they saw. You are now assigned to do this." The major addressed the people who were gathered at the top of the stairs and were staring down at the soldiers. "Everyone, we need all of you to provide written statements of what you saw. The captain will talk to each of you in turn. I expect all of you to cooperate in this, so please come down.

"Madam, would you kindly get us some paper, a quill and ink? I am sure that you also want to see that justice is down for this foul deed." She went off to find these items. When she returned, the captain began to take statements from each person, writing down what they said they saw.

The one person who was not there was Mrs. Bennet, as the effects of all the punch she had consumed and Wickham's ministrations helped her fall into such a deep sleep that the shouting had not been loud enough to wake her. Besides, she still had a big smile on her face. If she had been in any condition to dream, we know what her dreams would have been about.

The major was looking at the body, turned to the landlady, and said, "Madam, do you recognize this poor gentleman?"

"Yes, indeed. He is a Mr. Bennet, a gentleman from Hertfordshire. He and his wife arrived here just a couple of days ago. I am not sure where his wife is."

"Would you mind checking her room to see if she is there? She needs to be told what happened."

The woman went up to Mrs. Bennet's room and knocked on the door. There was no response, but she listened closely and heard snoring. She went in and saw that Mrs. Bennet was sound asleep on her back. She went to her and shook vigorously her by the shoulder, which she noticed was bare as she was not wearing a nightgown.

"Mrs. Bennet! Wake up! Something has happened. You have to come down."

Mrs. Bennet came to groggily, shaking her head. "What? What? What is it? What happened?" When she began to pull back the covers to get up, she realized she was naked. She pulled the covers back up and said, "Give me a moment to get a robe on. I will be right down." The landlady went out, shaking her head. She knew there was more to the story than was apparent. In her heart she hoped that it was not what she thought. Otherwise, why would Mr. Bennet have started to fight with that lieutenant? Was Mrs. Bennet such a woman to dishonour her husband, and in her house? The landlady was indignant as she had always tried to run a decent establishment. She decided that she had to get this woman out of her house as soon as possible.

After a few minutes, Mrs. Bennet came out, now wearing a nightgown and a robe. When she reached the top of the stairs, she looked down and screamed as she thought that the crumpled body at the bottom looked like her husband. The shock of seeing him lying there seemed to sober her up in a hurry. She rapidly went down the stairs and looked at his face. "Mr. Bennet! No! Why did you do this to me?" She turned to the major. "What happened?"

She knelt down beside her husband and touched his face. From his stillness, she knew that he was gone. She looked up and saw all the soldiers, recognizing only one of them, the one all tied up with blood on his face. "Mr. Wickham! What happened? Why are you here?"

Wickham's face took on a look of complete innocence. "Your husband fell down the stairs. I did not touch him. I swear! You have to help me!"

She looked at the other officers, "Why is Mr. Wickham all tied up? Why is he all bloody? What happened?"  
The major responded, "Mrs. Bennet, I am very sorry that this event took place. This lieutenant was with your husband at the top of the stairs when this happened. We are just now interviewing the witnesses to find out what they saw. Please be assured that we will find out the truth. Now, you obviously know this Lieutenant Wickham. Do you know who his commanding officer is?"

"Yes. Colonel Forster. His regiment was stationed in Meryton in Hertfordshire this winter."  
"Thank you for that information. I will contact Colonel Forster. Do you have anyone in Brighton who can be with you now?"

Mrs. Bennet was shattered, but the major's calm questions helped her answer in a sensible manner. "My daughter is staying with Colonel Forster and his wife. We came here to take her home. What am I going to do now? We know no one else in Brighton. What are we going to do now?"

The major, having had much experience with difficult situations as he was a veteran of the peninsular wars, turned to the landlady. "Madam, may I leave Mrs. Bennet here while I go to Colonel Forster? I am sure he or someone else will come to take charge of the situation." She nodded, very reluctantly. She wanted nothing more than to get his woman and the body out of her house as soon as possible. What would people think?

The major left with the two enlisted men dragging Wickham beside them. The captain stayed to take statements. Mrs. Bennet stayed with her husband's body. She began to wail loudly, making the landlady even more concerned about getting her out of her house as soon as possible. To distract Mrs. Bennet, she suggested that she go get dressed, which she did, wailing all the way up the stairs.

The major first led them to the camp's stockade, where he left Wickham in the charge of the jailers. He made the formal charge of murder against him. He released the two soldiers and went directly to Colonel Forster's headquarters. Here, he obtained directions to the house where he was staying and asked the sergeant on duty at headquarters to accompany him there. When he arrived at the Colonel's house, he found that everyone was sleeping, but he insisted that the Colonel needed to be awakened. Colonel Forster soon came; the major gave him a proper salute and then gave his full report of everything that had happened.

Colonel Forster was aghast as he knew that the general in charge of the whole camp had stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with the local civilians. Both officers knew that they had to tell the general what had happened. Before he left to don his uniform, Colonel Forster said that he would wake his wife and Miss Lydia and send them with one of his officers to look after Mrs. Bennet and the body. He turned to the sergeant and told him to find Captain Carter and to tell him to report to him immediately. He knew that Captain Carter was friendly with the Bennets from their time in Meryton and that he could be trusted with the ladies.

Colonel Forster went up to tell his wife what happened. He asked her to wake Lydia and go to Mrs. Bennet with one of his officers. She was loath to go, but he convinced her that she was needed as there was no one else. When he came down, properly uniformed this time, they waited for Captain Carter, who arrived in short order. Colonel Forster told him what had happened. The Captain was shocked, "Wickham! I was worried that he would get into trouble here, but I never thought that he would murder anyone, especially Mr. Bennet. What a mess, sir!"

The Colonel ordered Carter to take Mrs. Forster and Miss Bennet to Mrs. Bennet and to do whatever was necessary to have the body removed and the Bennet ladies taken care of. He and the major then went to the general's headquarters and asked that the general be awakened and come to see them. When the general arrived, he was not happy as he knew there must be big trouble to have him summoned in the middle of the night.

The officers saluted smartly and the major told the general what he had come upon and every step that he had undertaken. The general realized that the major had done everything properly, so he turned to the colonel. "Colonel Forster, who is this Lieutenant Wickham? Is he capable of murder? Do you know this Bennet who is dead? I made it very clear that I wanted no trouble between our forces and civilians and now we have this mess."

"Sir, I know the Bennet family from when we were stationed in Hertfordshire. Mr. Bennet is a gentleman from a landed family with an estate that has been in the family for many generations. As a matter of fact, Mr. Bennet's daughter is staying with my wife as her special friend. The Bennet family will be devastated by Mr. Bennet's death. As for Wickham, I have suspected that he would be trouble. He is a fairly recent recruit and I have heard rumours of his gambling debts and money owing to shops when we left Hertfordshire to come here. There have also been rumours of his dalliances with young women in Hertfordshire."

The general was furious. "That is exactly the type of officer we do not want. His kind will destroy the goodwill we need from the civilian population. I want him court-martialed and hanged as soon as possible. Colonel, see to it! Dismissed!" The general had been in the army for many years and had worked his way up the ranks. He had seen action many times and had no patience for any soldier who did not follow his orders.

"Yes, sir!" The two officers left; the major to go to see if his captain had gathered sufficient information for a court-martial; the colonel to go to see how his wife was faring with Mrs. and Miss Bennet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: I hope you are enjoying my story. Please do not hesitate to submit Reviews as I carefully read every one of them and have found the criticisms of my writing style to be helpful. I have tried to improve, but it is difficult for an old professor who had previously written only in dry and dusty academese. **

The two officers returned to the Bennets' rooming house where they found that Captain Carter and Mrs. Forster were trying to console Mrs. Bennet and Lydia. The officers were not sure if the loud lamentations were for the dead gentleman or that it was their favourite officer, Lieutenant Wickham, who had been arrested. The Major saw that someone, likely the landlady, had covered the body with a blanket and that his Captain was just finishing taking written statements from the last of the witnesses. He reviewed their statements and saw that the evidence was consistent and overwhelming—that the lieutenant had pushed the gentleman down the stairs. Only the first person who had opened his door at the noise said anything about the gentleman asking why the Lieutenant had been in his wife's room. The Major knew that if this rumour became known, it could do serious damage to the family's reputation, so he decided that he would give this particular deposition only to Colonel Forster to let him decide if it should be included in the formal evidence package.

From the state that the Bennet ladies were in, the Colonel realized that they needed someone to help them as they were both obviously incapable of rational thought and likely would be for some time to come. From knowing them in Meryton, he wondered if these two were ever sensible. He had allowed Miss Lydia to accompany them only because of his wife's insistence.

It was now the middle of the night, but he sent Captain Carter off to find the coffin-maker so they could get Mr. Bennet's body ready for shipment back to Hertfordshire as soon as possible. He asked the ladies whom he could contact to assist them. Mrs. Bennet could not give a coherent answer, but Lydia said that Mr. Philips would be the best person who would know what needed to be done as he was a lawyer. The Colonel knew that Philips was Miss Bennet's uncle, so wrote a message to him outlining all that had happened and had it sent off express. He hoped that Mr. Philips would be able to come to Brighton as soon as possible, but he knew that that would take at least three days for him to receive the express and arrive in Brighton.

They waited for some time before the coffin-maker arrived. By now, it was nearing dawn. The Colonel arranged for a suitable casket for shipping and for the body to be taken away. He invited Mrs. Bennet to come to stay with them until they left Brighton. Captain Carter had returned, so he asked the landlady to show them the room that Mr. Bennet had been using. The three of them went up but found nothing unusual in the room. The Colonel carefully took possession of Mr. Bennet's wallet so he could return this to the widow. When they went back down, he loaded them all into his carriage to return to his house. He told the landlady to pack up all the belongings in the two rooms and send everything to his house.

When they arrived back at his house, the Colonel had his wife take Mrs. Bennet up and give her a potion to help her sleep. As everyone was very tired from being up most of the night, the ladies were soon all sleeping. However, before the Colonel sent the Captain to his quarters, he assigned him to look after the Bennet ladies and told him that included accompanying them back to Meryton and to help get them settled in their home. While Captain Carter was pleased to be relieved of his training duties for at least a few days, he was of two minds about having to care for these two ladies. He believed that there was little he could do for Mrs. Bennet except to listen to her lamentations, but he did not mind being in Miss Lydia's company as he had admired her appearance and spirit ever since they had first met in Meryton. He had resented the attentions that Wickham had paid to her; but, of course, that rival was now out of the picture, probably for good. The only thing that he regretted was that Wickham owed him money from cards and that he knew that he would never collect it; neither would the other officers who were owed even larger sums.

The Colonel knew that he would likely get no sleep as he had a court martial to arrange. He took all of the written eyewitness statements to the general's headquarters and conferred with the general's adjutant about convening the court martial. They agreed on the timing of the court martial and the officers who would be assigned to it. The Colonel also persuaded the adjutant that, since it was a military officer who caused the death of Mr. Bennet, all expenses resulting from this apparent murder should be borne by the military and that it would be acceptable to assign Captain Carter to accompany the Bennet ladies to their home and to stay there until the funeral was over and the ladies were settled in their home.

The next several days in Brighton were busy. The court martial was convened, Wickham was found guilty of murder and hanged even though that one deposition had not been entered into evidence. The Bennet ladies still bewailed their fate and Mrs. Forster soon tired of the noise. Captain Carter was assiduous in his attentions to them, but there was little he could do to alleviate their unhappiness. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Philips arrived. Mr. Philips quickly learned everything that had happened and approved of Colonel Forster's actions. He was very impressed with the speed of the military justice system. He knew that Mr. Bennet's death would have very serious consequences on the Bennet family because of the entail. He arranged for their removal to Hertfordshire and the shipping of the body to the Meryton church for the funeral and burial.

Mrs. Philips tried to console her sister, but was more often joining her in her wailings and grievances against the fates. Captain Carter accompanied them to Meryton but mainly rode with Mr. Philips rather than with the ladies. He found that his presence did little to assuage Mrs. Bennet's sorrow, but was much more appreciated by Lydia.

Their arrival in Meryton was not as traumatic as it could have been as Mary and Kitty had already been told about their father and Wickham's involvement in his death. When Lydia told them that Mr. Wickham had already been hanged for killing their father, they were also astounded at the efficiency and rapidity of the military justice system. Mary preached about the biblical directives 'thou shalt not kill' and 'an eye for an eye,' so she was not too upset with his hanging. However, Kitty joined Lydia in regretting the death of such a handsome and personable officer who had paid so much attention to them.

Captain Carter's presence helped console the Bennet ladies, especially Lydia, who was finding that her affections for him were growing because of his close attentions to her. The fact that he was now the only red-coated officer in Meryton added to his attractiveness. Before he left, he talked to her about his prospects. He mentioned that he was to inherit a small estate from his uncle when he reached the age of 25, which would be the following year and that his intentions were to resign from the militia at that time to manage the estate. He asked if he would be welcomed if he came to Meryton whenever he was granted leave. Lydia read his intentions and said that he would be very welcome.

After Captain Carter left Meryton, Mary and Kitty talked to Lydia. Mary said, "Lydia, we have been talking about what is going to happen to all of us now that Mr. Collins will inherit Longbourn and will evict us out of our home as soon as he wants. We know that Captain Carter is an attractive officer, especially in his red coat, and has been paying you quite close attention. I hope that you will think very carefully about your future and not rush into making any decision until you are very sure of what you are doing. You are still young. If you marry, your whole life will be devoted to your husband and family. You will not be able to flirt with any other man, even if he is wearing a red coat. You will have to respect your husband."  
"Mary, I hope that you still do not think of me how I was before I went to Brighton. I am not sure if you know how great the shock was to me to have Papa killed, and by Wickham, who I had thought was the epitome of the perfect gentleman officer. I was so wrong about him! Have you noticed that I have been trying to act differently from what I was before? Papa's death hit me hard, even though he always teased and criticized me. Now I know that he was right about me. I was far too silly and thoughtless until then.

"Now, I just want a quiet life where I can devote myself to a good man and make him happy. If Captain Carter does come back to me next year and asks for my hand, I will accept him. Just think! I could be the mistress of our very own estate. I promise that I will do the very best that I can to be a good mistress and wife. His estate is in Essex, where no one will know what I was like before. I will be able to start a new life and it will be up to me to earn the respect of the local people and the love of my husband. However, I understand your concerns for me and do thank you for trying to help me not to make a serious mistake. In any case, the Captain may have changed his mind by next year, so nothing is definite yet.

"In any case, I well know that our futures are in complete doubt as Mr. Collins will throw us out of our home as soon as he wants. I may have a chance for a good life if I treat Mr. Carter nicely. Where will I go if he does not want me? Mr. Bingley cannot take care of all of us."

Mary was impressed by Lydia's words and thoughts. She realized that her youngest sister had matured very quickly since their father's death. She decided that she would pay more attention to Lydia, even though her time seemed to be so occupied with other problems.

Mr. Philips was stuck with dealing with the legal ramifications of Mr. Bennet's death. He had to arrange for the funeral, the reading of the will, and for informing Mr. Collins. The funeral was straightforward and was well-attended as word of the details of his murder had quickly spread through the area. Stories of Wickham's debts and attempted dalliances with local girls were soon circulating, first among the worst gossips, then to everyone else.

Mr. Philips arranged for the reading of the will, even though the Gardiners were still on their trip to the North Country with Elizabeth. He had sent an express to Mr. Gardiner but had little hope that it would reach them because of their casual itinerary. Mr. Gardiner's presence was important as he was designated, along with Mr. Philips, as the official trustees of Mr. Bennet's estate and the guardians of his minor children. At the time of his death, Jane was the only one of his five children who was of legal age.

Mr. Philips knew that he had to tell Mr. Collins that he was now the official master of the Longbourn estate, but he hoped that Collins would give the family sufficient time to make arrangements for their relocation before he took possession and evicted the Bennets. He had not been impressed by the integrity or intelligence of Collins, so he went to see Sir William Lucas to enlist his assistance.

"Sir William," he said, "I am sure that you are well aware of the serious situation that the remaining Bennet family is in. Of course, Collins has the right to remove them immediately from Longbourn, but I hope that he will give them sufficient time to make suitable alternative arrangements. I will ask him to allow a period of at least three months before he takes possession.

"I am here to ask for your assistance in this request as you know that the Bennet ladies are in trouble. Mr. Bennet did not have significant savings to help them, so it will be up to Mr. Gardiner and me, and possibly Mr. Bingley, to provide for them. Might I request that you write to both Mr. and Mrs. Collins to suggest that it is his Christian duty to be generous with them?" Philips hoped that Sir Williams would have influence on his daughter and that she would be able to convince her husband to grant them this time before the Bennets were forced to move. Like everyone else in Meryton, he knew that Charlotte Lucas was a very sensible and caring person; quite the opposite of her husband.

Sir William was pleased to be asked for his assistance as he considered that, as the only titled resident of Meryton, he had some responsibility to take care of all the other residents whenever he could. "Philips, I will be glad to write to both Charlotte and Collins. I believe that he might listen to his wife if she emphasizes that this would be the Christian thing to do for the Bennets." He continued in this vein for some time, but did write the letters as promised.

When Collins received the letter from Mr. Philips telling him of Mr. Bennet's death, his chest swelled at the thought that he was now Master of Longbourn. His first impulse was to go there immediately to take possession of the estate, but Charlotte, who had received the letter from her father, talked to him about the necessity of arranging for a substitute parson at Hunsford Parish as he did not want to upset his esteemed patroness if he left too quickly to assist her in this transition. She also talked of the plight of the Bennet family and his Christian duty to be generous with those in need. In the end, he agreed that he would discuss all this with Lady Catherine and abide by her decision.

Lady Catherine was not pleased at the thought that she would lose such an obsequious and obliging parson much sooner than she had expected, but she knew that his taking possession of the Longbourn estate was inevitable. She finally agreed that he should give them the three months that lawyer Philips had requested. Mr. Philips was very pleased to receive word of this concession as it gave him time to wait for the return of both the Gardiners and Bingleys before they decided what could be done for the Bennet family.

The Bingleys returned to Longbourn first. Jane's complete happiness with her husband and new situation was shattered when Mary told her of their father's death. Jane went up to her mother, who was still unable to leave her room because of her misery. "Oh, Jane! Jane! What will happen to us? Mr. Collins is throwing us out into the hedgerows without a penny! I cannot even leave my room because of the palpitations I have been suffering. I have cramps and was even sick to my stomach this morning. What are we going to do?"  
Jane tried to assure her mother that Mr. Bingley would not allow them to be homeless. Her assurances seemed to go unheeded, which did not surprise her. The next several weeks were spent with little change in her mother's complaints, except that she continued to talk about being sick with nausea, cramps, and bloating. When Mrs. Philips was visiting and listened to the litany of complaints, Mrs. Bennet said, "If I did not know better, I would say that I am with child, but that cannot be. After all, I am forty-two years old. This is just how I felt every time I was increasing for each of the girls."

After another couple of weeks, the Gardiners and Lizzy returned to hear the dreadful news. Mrs. Gardiner was also unable to console Mrs. Bennet, but listened patiently to her list of physical complaints and those against Lizzy for not accepting Mr. Collins's proposal. When Mrs. Bennet also told her that her physical problems were similar to those she had experienced when she had had her five pregnancies, Mrs. Gardiner began to wonder if she just might be. As she had four young children herself, the symptoms certainly sounded familiar. However, Mrs. Bennet said that she could not possibly be as she had not been with Mr. Bennet for months. She came to regret this admission.

Mr. Philips organized a meeting with the Gardiners, Bingleys, and Elizabeth to discuss what was to be done when Collins arrived to take possession of Longbourn. Mrs. Gardiner said that they would be very pleased to continue to host Elizabeth in London as their trip had been so pleasant with her. Jane and Bingley said they had lots of room at Netherfield and Mr. and Mrs. Philips said they had room to take one, preferably Mrs. Bennet as she and her sister Philips had grown so close. As there was still remained a month until Collins came to take possession, they did not finalize their plans any further.

The Gardiners returned to London with their children; Jane and Bingley settled into Netherfield. When Bingley told his sister Caroline that he would be taking in three Bennet sisters, she was furious. She had planned to return to Netherfield to live with her brother and Jane, but now said that this situation was simply not tolerable to her. Secretly, Jane was pleased to hear this as she had worried that Caroline would interfere with her taking on her role as mistress of the house. She was already finding that her Mother's almost daily visits were upsetting her running of the Netherfield household. Elizabeth was also pleased to hear about Caroline's decision not to come to live with her brother as she shared Jane's concerns about Caroline's interference. Elizabeth was not very happy with the thought that she would be living in London permanently as, while she loved her aunt and uncle and all of their children, she much preferred the country to the city, especially in the summer when London was at its worst.


	5. Chapter 5

It was now only two weeks until Collins was due to arrive to take possession of Longbourn. Mrs. Philips was visiting her sister and listening to her complaints. "I cannot tell you, dear sister, how much I have been suffering. I had cramps and bloating; my breasts are tender; now I am sick almost every morning. I tell you it is just how I felt when I was expecting, but I know it is my mourning for my dear Mr. Bennet."

Mrs. Philips was struck by a thought, "Fanny, those certainly all sound like a woman who is increasing. Is it possible? Have your monthly courses been regular? Did Mr. Bennet come to visit you just before he passed?"

Mrs. Bennet's face suddenly expressed some very deep thoughts. She turned white, then very red. "They have continued, but not as regular as they had been, but I have not had any for several months. I thought it was just a sign of my change of life. I did have relations that might have done it." Mrs. Philips did not notice that her sister said 'I' in her sentence and not 'we.' Mrs. Bennet was lucky as she would find it very difficult to explain to anyone, even her sister, what she had done in Brighton. It would also have raised serious problems if it became known that the child might not be her husband's. She then remembered that she had told Mrs. Gardiner that she had not been with her husband for a long time. She could only hope that either this information would be discounted as not being accurate or would not be held against her by her sister-in-law.

"If I am with child, and it is a son, then he will inherit Longbourn and not Mr. Collins! What should we do? Mr. Collins will be here in just two weeks!"

"I had better get home and talk to Mr. Philips. He will know what to do. Meanwhile, you should talk to the apothecary to confirm your suspicions. It is very important that we know for sure."

Mrs. Philips returned home right away and told her husband of their suspicions. Mr. Philips immediately realized the importance of this information. If a son was born within nine months of the father's death, that child was legally the heir and Collins would not be able to contest it. He and his wife went back to Longbourn to see that the apothecary had just finished meeting with Mrs. Bennet.

Mr. Philips met him with, "Mr. Jones, please tell us the news. This is very important, as I am sure you realize."

"Yes, I understand that the entail is involved if it is a son. In my professional opinion, Mrs. Bennet is about 11 or 12 weeks pregnant. The child should be born next May. She should feel quickening in about a month and that will confirm my diagnosis. What are you going to do about Mr. Collins and the entail?" Everyone, including the apothecary, knew about the entail and the difficulties facing the Bennet ladies.

"If it is a son, then he will inherit immediately and Collins will only be next in line after him. If it is a daughter, nothing changes and Collins will be the Master of Longbourn. I will write to him at once. This is a difficult legal situation as we will not know the facts until May."

Philips wrote to Collins informing him of the likely pregnancy and the possibility that a son might be born who would displace Collins as the inheritor of the Longbourn estate. As Philips was very sympathetic to the Bennets, he worded his letter carefully to make Collins worry. He pointed out that, if a son was born and Collins had possession of the estate, he would be held liable for all revenues that had accrued while Longbourn was in his possession. He also pointed out that Collins would be evicted from Longbourn and would have no place to live if he gave up his Hunsford parish. He suggested, since the legal question of ownership of Longbourn would be settled in May, that Collins delay taking possession of the estate until then. He also suggested that, if a daughter was born, the Bennets would pay rent to him for the next months until they removed from the estate.

When Collins shared this letter with his wife, she thought that it contained both good news and bad news. The slight good news was that there was to be another Bennet, perhaps a son who would eliminate her friends' uncertainty over whether they would lose their home and only source of income. The bad news, of course, was that, if a son was born, Charlotte would likely never become Mistress of Longbourn. Collins decided that he must again seek the counsel of his esteemed patroness, so he immediately took this letter to her.

Lady Catherine, upon reading the letter from lawyer Philips was pleased that she might not lose her valuable parson as she had not yet found a substitute that equaled his obsequiousness and obedience to her slightest whim. She had decided that a temporary curate would be used when Collins left for Hertfordshire until a suitable parson that met her expectations could be found. However, she had not been satisfied with the applicants so far. She was not pleased at the possibility of having to make a quick decision about a curate as she was not sure how this person might respond to her suggestions that were, in fact, orders that she expected would be obeyed without question. She decided to tell Collins that he should agree with the plan that the Bennets be allowed to remain in possession of Longbourn until the birth and that, if a daughter were born, they would pay him rent for the months since Mr. Bennet's death. Of course, Collins agreed with his patroness and sent off the necessary letter of agreement to Philips.

Naturally, the Bennets were pleased when Philips told them that Collins had agreed to let them stay. However, problems with the management of the estate quickly rose their ugly heads. It was now near the end of the harvest and questions about the sale of the produce and animals had to be answered. Legal responsibility for the estate had been assigned to Mr. Bennet's brothers-in-law, Gardiner and Philips, so it was really up to them to look after the day-to-day affairs. As Gardiner was in London, that duty mainly fell on Philips, but he, in turn, was busy with his law practice and did not have much time to look after Longbourn.

Thus, Elizabeth took on more and more responsibility for the running of the estate with only an occasional meeting with her Uncle Philips who consistently confirmed the decisions that she had already made. While she had always been quite extensively involved with the tenants and their concerns, there were many areas where her father had not included her, especially in the financial aspects of the estate's income and expenses. She could not turn to her other close relative, Mr. Bingley, as he was just learning how to run his own estate with minimal input from anyone else. Elizabeth had to make decisions based on her common sense, which, fortunately, was quite good. She may have made mistakes this first harvest that cost them money, but she learned from them and never repeated them in future years.

Elizabeth consulted with her Uncle Philips about the necessity of saving money for the rentals that would need to be paid if her mother produced another daughter. They carefully calculated the amount that was needed to be saved and where expenditures could be cut. Elizabeth was surprised, when she reviewed the past financial records, how much her father had spent on port and new books for himself and how much money her mother had wasted on frivolous purchases. When they made their decisions on what to do, Elizabeth asked Mr. Philips if he would take responsibility for restricting the pin money given to each Bennet, as she did not want her sisters or her mother to keep pestering her for an increase or to cover over-expenditures.

Mr. Philips convened a meeting of Mrs. Bennet and the four sisters who were living at Longbourn. "I called this important meeting to discuss where we can save enough money to pay Collins the rent that will be owed to him if a daughter is born. You know that we have no choice in this; rents for these months must be paid if that happens. One of the areas of expenditure that we will need to reduce is the amount of pin money given to each of you. I will tell you right now that you must not overspend as I will not cover any excess bills. We just have to save the money." Philips did not mention that one obvious saving was that they no longer had to pay out Jane's pin money as all her needs were now the responsibility of her husband. He also did not mention the savings that would occur as Mr. Bennet's extravagances were no longer a concern.

Naturally, three of the sisters and their mother complained loudly about how this was simply not possible for them, but Mr. Philips held fast. They barely noticed that Lizzy did not complain; if they did notice, they assumed that she was because she never overspent her allowance. They did not realize that it was her plan and not their uncle's. One of the results of this meeting was the increasing confidence that Philips had with Elizabeth. He began to realize just how intelligent and firm she was. Therefore, he decided to give her almost complete control of the management of the estate with only cursory oversight by him. He wrote to Mr. Gardiner the full details of what they had decided and the increased duties he had given to Elizabeth. Gardiner, knowing Elizabeth's capabilities, concurred with all these decisions. In any case, his own growing business meant that he could not possibly go to Longbourn to sort out minor problems with the estate. The uncles did not concern themselves that this added responsibility placed on Elizabeth would restrict her free time that she had enjoyed in the past.

The first bit of good news came just before that Christmas of 1812 when Mrs. Bennet felt the quickening that confirmed that she was indeed expecting. Whenever she thought of the baby, her mind immediately thought of the events that led to its conception. She regretted the loss of her husband, but she smiled whenever she thought of how dashing Wickham had looked in his red coat, and without it. While her memory of the details of what had taken place that night were not perfectly clear because of all of the punch that she had drunk, she certainly remembered the main event. That was the first time in many years that she had felt young again and did not regret the fun that they had that night. She hoped that she would have a son who would be tall, dark-haired, and handsome. She wondered if she could get away with naming him George. Fortunately, she was just wise enough not to speak a word about this to anyone after her slip with Mrs. Gardiner. If she happened to feel the slightest twinge of guilt about what she had done, she blamed all the punch that she had drunk. While she did regret the loss of her husband of so many years, she did not miss his constant teasing and disparaging of her and her youngest daughters.

With the Bingleys living so close to Longbourn, visits there were made almost daily by at least one of the Bennets. Jane found that her mother too often bothered the staff by ordering them around, often in contradiction to orders they had received from their real mistress. This upset Jane as she did not want to cause problems with the relationship she had with her mother, but hoped that it would not continue for much longer as she became less mobile because of her increasing size.

The visits from Elizabeth were much more welcome as they still shared almost all their secrets. While Elizabeth kept nothing back, Jane was too reticent to talk about the joys she was experiencing every night with her husband. Just thinking of them made her blush. Lizzy did raise the issue once. "Jane, please tell me about having a husband. Mother seems to say that the marital obligations of a wife are onerous and simply must be endured. Is that right?"

Jane blushed red when she thought of the delights that she had experienced and was continuing to enjoy. "Lizzy, you know I cannot talk of what happens between a husband and wife. When you become betrothed, I will tell you everything. I can only say that, in my limited experience, Mother is not correct; far from it. It is amazing! Of course, I have a loving and gentle husband, so that may make a difference. Never once have I ever regretted being his wife and never have I only submitted to his attentions as Mother says that is a wife's lot. Do you remember the vow that we made that we would marry only for the deepest love? Follow it and you should also have what I have. A loving husband is wonderful and worth waiting for!"

While Elizabeth was happy for her sister, she had begun to worry if she would ever enjoy such a deep love from a good man as there were no such men available in Meryton and she now knew that her responsibilities for Longbourn would likely prevent her from finding someone suitable. She was in a quandary; if her Mother produced a son, her responsibilities for Longbourn would continue to tie her to the estate. If another daughter, then she would likely end up living in London with the Gardiners where there would be more potential husbands. This situation would be best for her, but not for her family.

Christmas came and Mrs. Bennet was obviously beginning to show her pregnancy. Much of the planning for the special events of the season fell on her daughters, especially Elizabeth. Somehow, the girls managed not to overspend their pin money by much, so Uncle Philips did not need to refuse their pleas very often. The Bingleys invited them all to Netherfield for Christmas dinner, where she and Bingley announced that she was also expecting and should deliver in June, just a month after her mother's due date.

After Christmas was the slowest season for the estate as the tenants only had their animals to care for in the dead of winter. Elizabeth kept busy checking on all the tenants to make sure they were not lacking for anything serious. While few of them mentioned it, they definitely found that they preferred having her as their principal manager as Mr. Bennet had tended to ignore them for extended periods of time and did not pay attention to their concerns. Miss Elizabeth actually took the time to ask them about how they could each improve the yields that might be possible for the acres assigned to them. She received some very good suggestions from them, which did not surprise her as they knew their farms much better than anyone else. She learned which plants produced the most revenue and which were needed to feed their animals. She invested money in some of the improvements that they wanted; those that seemed most likely to be most worthwhile in terms of yield and profits. While she was not used to making such profit and loss decisions, once again her common sense proved its worth.

Spring finally came, and with it a busy time on the estate. Elizabeth found that she could not take the time to walk to each of the farms, so she had an old dog cart rehabilitated so she could drive it herself with only one horse. She spent the time saved by talking to each tenant to ensure they all had sufficient seed for planting and feed for their animals that would last until hay could be harvested. The tenants had to divide their time between planting their fields and tending to all the newly-born animals. Of course, her close attention to the tenants made her very popular with them as she tried not to interfere with their daily operations while listening to their concerns. However, she was firm enough not to let any of them get away with trying to cheat her. One tenant who tried found that she had a temper and the will to enforce her rules. The tenants also found that she had the full support of her uncles, who were the actual trustees for the estate, so they quickly learned to heed her instructions.


	6. Chapter 6

As spring moved into early summer, the sisters learned what their mother was like when she was so large in the late stages of pregnancy. They were all too young to remember clearly the birth of any of their sisters. She could or would not get around easily, so they had to care for her every whim. Her nerves were even worse than they had been before. She and all her daughters hoped for a boy; Mary even prayed for one, hoping that her righteous life might make a difference in how her prayers were received.

Finally, as expected, in May, 1813, the pains began and she told her daughters to inform the midwife and her sister Philips. When these two women arrived, the girls were barred from her room, being maidens and so were to remain ignorant of the details of what happens during childbirth. Elizabeth sent a message to Jane asking if she wanted to come, but Jane declined, saying she was now too large and too close to her own delivery to learn to fear what would happen when her own time came.

Being her sixth delivery, Mrs. Bennet did not labour for too many hours. Just that evening, the girls heard the distinctive cry of a baby, the first heard in Longbourn for many years. "It is a boy! We are saved!" they heard their mother shout. They were soon allowed in to see their mother, exhausted, but looking so proud of her achievement. Their main desire was to see their brother.

Lydia was the first to remark, "He is beautiful! Look at all that dark hair!" They did not notice that their mother smiled at this comment, thinking of another's dark hair. Soon all four girls had taken their turn holding him and they naturally cooed over him. It was obvious that this baby would not lack for caregivers.

Elizabeth, ever the practical one, asked, "What are we going to name him? Should he not be named after our father?" Mrs. Bennet had to restrain herself from suggesting that 'George' was a good name.

They all agreed that this was an excellent idea, so they collectively decided that he would be called Thomas Edward Bennet, but they soon found that he was just Tommy to them. Fortunately, Tommy was healthy and had no serious problems.

Mr. Philips delightedly sent off a letter to Collins, telling him the good news that he would not have to worry about learning how to manage an estate; that Longbourn had a new Master who would take full control of Longbourn upon reaching his majority. Until then, the two trustees had responsibility for the estate. While Charlotte was pleased that the Bennets' lives would not be disrupted, she could not say this out loud to her husband as he was mightily disappointed. He quickly went to Rosings to pass the news to his patroness. She was pleased that she would not lose such a perfect parson that suited all of her requirements and slavishly followed her instructions.

The whole Gardiner family came for the christening as they were also relieved at the birth of a Bennet son. The Gardiner children loved their new cousin, especially the two girls. He was just like a baby doll! When they asked if they could play with him, they were disappointed to hear that he was just too young, but that he would grow quickly.

In a family conference, they all decided that the Philipses were best suited to be named as godparents, living closer in proximity to Longbourn than the Gardiners. The christening was very well attended as so many residents of Meryton were happy for the Bennets. No one wanted to see them lose their home, especially to a person such as Collins, who had not impressed anyone when he had been there. Perhaps the only residents not very pleased with the birth were Sir William and Lady Lucas, who had hoped for better things for their daughter Charlotte, but they accepted the good fortune of the Bennets with grace. In any case, they were satisfied that Charlotte was quite satisfied with her lot in life. She repeatedly told them how contented she was with her cottage in Hunsford.

After the christening, the Gardiners stayed at Longbourn for a few days before returning to London so Mr. Gardiner could be brought up-to-date on all that Elizabeth had done with her management of the estate. He readily approved of everything she had done, especially with the improvements that had been made over the winter. He had been impressed with his niece before, but his admiration of her grew tremendously. He hoped that these added responsibilities that took up so much of her time would not reduce the likelihood of her meeting a gentleman who might be suitable as a husband. He was just like his wife and his sisters in wanting all the Bennet girls to find happiness with good husbands.

While Mrs. Gardiner remembered Mrs. Bennet's statement that she could not be pregnant as she had not been with her husband for a long time, she hoped with all her heart that this did not mean that she had strayed from her marital vows. She hoped that this merely meant that she had not remembered being with him. In any case, she had not repeated that statement to anyone; not even her husband. When Aunt Gardiner looked at her new nephew, she realized that it did not matter how he came to be conceived as he would be the saviour of the Bennet family. The only result of Mrs. Bennet's admission was that Mrs. Gardiner had even less respect for her than she had before.

The Gardiners had considered asking one of their nieces to come to live with them in London. They had previously thought that Kitty would be the best choice so she would no longer be under the influence of her most immature sister, Lydia. However, they were astounded at the change in Lydia's behaviour. She was no longer so wild or so silly as she had been before her trip to Brighton. They spoke to Lizzy about this change and asked what might have caused it. Lizzy said that Wickham's killing of their father and his subsequent hanging was the main reason, but she added that she now had more control over Lydia and her pin money as their mother had been so preoccupied with her pregnancy. She thought that she was more consistent and sterner than their father had been with her. Lizzy also mentioned the attentions Lydia had received from Captain Carter and the implicit promise that he would call on her when he resigned from the military to take on the management of his own estate. She said that she believed that Lydia admired him and so was not so desperate to attract the attention of other men by flirting with them. Lizzy talked to them about Mr. Carter's good qualities as he would have to obtain the permission of both of Lydia's guardians if he asked to court and eventually marry her. After Lizzy's assurances about him, the Gardiners decided that they would not resist his application when or if he made it.

When the Gardiners went home to London, they did not take Kitty with them as they had spoken to Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth about her. They had all decided that Kitty seemed to be happy at Longbourn at this time, but that they would keep their offer open if they came to believe that Kitty would benefit from going to London.

Elizabeth had wondered if they should hire a nurse for Tommy, using the money they had put aside to pay rent on Longbourn if the baby had been a daughter. In a family conference, they decided that the four sisters would each take responsibility to look after him. They were pleased to do this as they all fell completely in love with him as he was such an easy baby who did not cry much or fuss unless he was hungry or needed changing. In any case, Mrs. Hill, their long-time housekeeper, also seemed to dote on him and was often seen to take him from his mother whenever she could. In this, Mrs. Bennet did not seem to object at all. However, as much as the other girls tried to take their turn, the main care for Tommy seemed to fall on Elizabeth, perhaps because she was the oldest sister at Longbourn, but more likely as she was the most reliable and attentive to his needs. Elizabeth noticed that she spent more time with her brother than her mother, whose attitude confused her as she had assumed that a mother would be very attentive to a newborn.

Just a month after Tommy was born, they received word from Netherfield that Jane was in labour. She used the same midwife as her mother, so the family was familiar with her. The whole family went to Netherfield and even brought Tommy with them. Jane's labour took much longer than her mother's, which was not surprising as this was Jane's first child. The length of Jane's labour almost undid Mr. Bingley as he was so nervous for his wife. It was not until early the next morning that they finally heard the baby's cries. Their mother had been with her the whole time, but her sisters were again kept out of the delivery room. When they were allowed in to see Jane, they could see that she was smiling, but exhausted. They oohed and aahed over the baby, who was a daughter that they named Anna Frances Bingley, to the great joy of her grandmother, Mrs. Frances Bennet. Mr. Bingley was almost floating in his excitement at the birth of his first child. The baby was held by everyone before they even considered leaving to allow Jane to get some rest. Bingley had hired a nurse to help Jane, so the baby was left in her care when the Bennets all left to get some rest.

As the six-month period of deep mourning for their father had passed and they were well into the period of half mourning, the Bennets decided they would slowly begin to enjoy more entertainments that were available in Meryton. To signal their availability, they had a dinner party for their closest friends. Guests included the Lucases, the Longs, the Gouldings, and several others. Mrs. Long, when she received the invitation, asked if she could bring her brother as he was currently visiting them. The dinner party was a great success as the food was, as always, very well selected, cooked, and presented. The guests all got along very well, including Mrs. Long's brother, a Sir Albert Elford, who had been knighted for some service to the Crown. It turned out he was a widower who was retired and lived in Reading, Berkshire, which was not too far from Hertfordshire. He was a jolly fellow who kept the table entertained with his fanciful tales during the whole dinner.

After dinner, the ladies separated and retired to the drawing room, but the gentlemen did not stay apart for long as they heard such pleasing sounds of the piano and singing from the ladies, several of whom were quite as proficient as Elizabeth in both talents. Elizabeth noticed that Sir Albert soon went to her mother and began to talk mostly to her. His attention to her may have been the result of Mrs. Bennet being the only unattached mature lady in the group, but the way he looked at her seemed to indicate another reason. This shocked Elizabeth a bit as she had not thought that her mother would attract the attentions of a man, especially this quickly; she thought of her only as her mother, and not as a woman who might be attractive to men. She had noticed that her mother had basically regained her figure after the birth of her son, although her breasts were much larger than they had been. Elizabeth assumed the reason for this was that she was nursing Tommy.

Meanwhile, her mother found that she was enjoying receiving such close attention from a gentleman that she found handsome and interesting. It had been many years since her husband had treated her so courteously, so she smiled at Sir Albert and thought how nice it would be to be called 'Lady Elford.' Even though it had been many years since she had tried to attract a man's attention, she found that she still remembered some of the tricks that had captured Mr. Bennet's interest such a long time ago. Her imagination leapt from attention, to admiration, to love, and from love to matrimony in a moment. As Sir Albert was to remain with the Longs for several weeks, she made sure that he was aware that she returned his interest in becoming more closely acquainted. Her daughters at first were aghast at their mother's antics, which, as they were not excessively overt, they then found them to be amusing.

It was not long after that dinner party that Captain Carter returned to Meryton and called upon the Bennets, specifically to see Lydia. After greeting them all very politely, he said, "I have reached the age of 25, so I have now inherited the estate that was left to me. I resigned my captaincy and will be taking possession of the estate as soon as possible as it has been in the care of a steward for several years and needs closer attention. It is in Essex, so coming to Hertfordshire first was not much out of the way. I am staying at the inn and plan to be here for several days if that is agreeable to you, Miss Lydia? May I call on you while I am here?"

Lydia was very pleased to see him even if he no longer wore a red coat. He was invited to stay for dinner, which he readily accepted. Over the next several days, he spent most of his time with Lydia, who followed her mother's example to show him that she returned his regard. Lydia made sure she took him to visit her Aunt and Uncle Philips as she knew that, as one of her guardians, the consent of her Uncle Philips would be needed if Mr. Carter asked for either a courtship or her hand. Carter extended his stay several times until he found an opportunity to be alone with Lydia to ask for her hand, which she gladly accepted. When he left to seek the permission of Mr. Philips, Lydia went to tell the family about his proposal. Of course, they were delighted with her news. Carter soon returned with the permission of one guardian and said that on his way to Essex he would stop in London to meet with Mr. Gardiner. Elizabeth was sure this would be granted as she had spoken of Captain Carter to the Gardiners. They tentatively set the wedding date for late September in Meryton. Carter wanted this late date as the harvest on his estate should be finished by then. This date was quite acceptable to the Bennets as they would be completely out of mourning by then. He then left for his estate via London with tender good-byes to his betrothed.

Naturally the whole family was excited about this visit and proposal, especially Lydia. She knew that she was now much different from the irresponsible girl she had been until she went to Brighton. She was looking forward to being a wife and having responsibility for her own household. She soon went to Mrs. Hill to ask to be involved in learning about the running of Longbourn so she would be ready to become mistress of her own establishment. She also began to accompany Lizzy on her regular visits around the estate so she could learn something about what her husband would need to look after. Lizzy was very impressed with how her sister had matured in just a year. They found that they became closer than they had ever been before.

They received word from Mr. Gardiner that he had been visited by Mr. Carter to ask for Lydia's hand and that he had given his approval. He said that Carter had promised to send him the marriage settlement documents and they had also discussed Lydia's dowry, which was not large but would prove to be useful in setting up their new household in Essex.

Their wedding soon came. Mrs. Bennet had been busy making all the necessary arrangements, so those were very well organized. Just before the wedding day, her mother had the talk with Lydia about marital relations and what to expect. Lydia ended up more confused than she had ever been. Mrs. Bennet began by talking about the physical act and how Lydia should just lie back and accept her husband's attentions as it would soon be over. However, a dreamy look came into her eyes and she said that it was possible that the occasion could be wonderful for both parties, but she did not explain how this joy could be achieved. After this talk, Lydia went to Jane, who gave her much more encouraging information and made many suggestions on how to help her husband learn to be slow and gentle with her. Jane promised that the act of love was the most incredible experience that a wife could achieve if she trained her husband properly.

Many people attended the marriage ceremony and the wedding breakfast. The newlyweds then left for their new home in Essex. In consultation with her uncles, Elizabeth had even managed to give them a wedding gift of a decent sum of money from the increased profits from the estate and the savings that they had managed to accumulate. That pleased the couple greatly and they said that it would be put to good use to improve Carter's estate.

Longbourn seemed much quieter with only the three girls, Tommy, and Mrs. Bennet now in residence. Elizabeth was very busy with the management of the estate and much of the care of Tommy. When she had begun to be busy when the harvest began, she had said to Mary and Kitty one morning, "I am going to be very busy with the harvest for several weeks, or even longer, so I will not have as much time to look after Tommy as I had. You know that Mother is not spending much time with him. May I ask that you make sure that Tommy is well cared for? The harvest is extremely important as we rely on the income we derive from it. I have to make sure that nothing goes wrong." As this was the second harvest that Elizabeth had overseen, things went much better than the first one. She was pleased that their yields on almost all the farms had increased, thus justifying the expenditures she had incurred on making improvements. Everyone was quite pleased with the results.

Neither Mary nor Kitty was enthusiastic about taking on this added responsibility, but they agreed. Neither seemed to have as much feeling for their brother as Lizzy, whose maternal instincts seem to develop the more she cared for him. With the harvest complete, Elizabeth found that most of the care for her brother once again fell on her. She did not mind this as her social life was almost nil except for visits to Jane at Netherfield and to her Aunt Philips in Meryton. There were no young men in Meryton who were of interest to her. Whenever she thought of any of them, she found that they just did not compare to a certain tall, dark-haired, and handsome gentleman that she had once known.


	7. Chapter 7

That fall of 1813 saw frequent visits from Sir Albert and it was soon apparent that he was very attentive to Mrs. Bennet and seemed to have serious intentions towards her. The girls all liked him and they easily saw that he their mother enjoyed his company and that his presence seemed to have a calming effect on her. Elizabeth wondered if his polite and considerate attention to her, which was very different from how her father had treated his wife, was the reason that she seemed to be so different from what she had been like before. No longer was she so loud or thoughtless; she also rarely complained of her nerves or palpitations of her heart. She dressed more becomingly and seemed to have become younger in appearance. However, none of the girls could understand how any man might be romantically interested in her. She was so old! She was their mother!

Elizabeth also thought that part of her mother's much calmer demeanor may have resulted from her previous concerns about what would happen to them when her father died. She had been so worried for so long about their being "thrown out into the hedgerows" by Mr. Collins with no place to live and no income. Now that Tommy was the heir, her desperate need to marry off all five of her daughters was no longer such a major concern as she had no doubt that he would never evict his sisters from the only home that they had ever known. Elizabeth began to realize just how great a worry this had been on her mother's mind. In any case, now there were only the three of them left unmarried and at home.

Elizabeth worried about what might happen if Sir Albert requested her mother's hand. From her mother's very warm reception of him, Elizabeth expected that she would accept him with no hesitation. He lived in Reading and had for many years, so that is likely where they would live. She knew that he had always lived in towns and had never had an estate, so he knew virtually nothing about managing one and appeared to be uninterested in learning about what was required to manage Longbourn. What would become of the unmarried Bennet sisters? Would they be invited to go to Reading as well? She doubted this as he did not show much interest in any of the girls or Tommy. Who would look after Tommy if his mother and her new husband did not want him to live with them? She noticed that her mother gave much less attention to Tommy whenever Sir Albert was expected or was actually visiting, so it was then Elizabeth's sole responsibility to look after him whenever this happened. This situation became more frequent as Sir Albert's visits increased in frequency and length. Elizabeth learned how to do everything for her brother, except to feed him. In fact, her mother's time with Tommy seemed to be reduced until that was almost the only time that she was with him. Tommy was now six months old, so his mother began to wean him off her breast. Lizzy thought that this was a bit early, so this added to her concerns about her mother's plans for the future.

The Gardiners came to Longbourn to celebrate Christmas with them, as they usually did. Elizabeth was very happy to see her aunt and uncle and all her cousins. She found time to voice her concerns over their future when she found an opportunity to talk to them alone. "Aunt, Uncle, I do not know what is going to happen to us. Sir Albert has been courting Mother all fall and I am sure that he will ask her to marry him. He lives in Reading where he apparently has a very nice house, so I am sure that he will want to live there after they marry. I believe that he does not really want any of us to come with them, especially a baby as young as Tommy. My greatest worry is that Mother may leave Tommy with us to raise. Uncle, you know I am managing the estate almost completely on my own. I am not sure that I can take on the additional responsibility of looking after Tommy and my two sisters at the same time. What can I do?" She looked so worried that the Gardiners thought that she might actually break down and cry. Mrs. Gardiner put her arms around her to try to comfort her.

While the Gardiners sympathized with her fears about the future, they agreed that this is likely what would happen. They had also developed the distinct impression that Mrs. Bennet did not have strong feelings for her son, especially now that there was a man in her life. They had met Sir Albert and saw how he appeared to be enamoured with her. Her Aunt Gardiner said, "Lizzy, I understand your concerns. We have talked about this and agree that this is what very well might happen. I doubt there is any way we can change her mind about anything as she is so happy; in fact, this is the happiest we have ever seen her since Jane's birth.

"We have two suggestions if this happens. First, you should hire a nurse for Tommy to take some of the load off your shoulders. You should be able to afford that if there are only you three girls left to support. Second, would it help if we invited Kitty to come to live with us in London? She is so improved over the past several years that we would be happy to have her. She could even help me with the children as they are becoming quite a handful as they grow older.

"However, we still do not even know if Sir Albert will ask your mother for her hand or if they would decide to live alone in Reading. Keep those suggestions in mind and we can talk about them later if this all comes to pass."

Lizzy was glad that they share her concerns and agreed to wait to see what would happen before they made any decisions. She was certainly finding that all of her time was busy with the estate and Tommy; now she rarely had time for long solitary walks or reading.

Their mother's situation came to a head that Christmas. Sir Albert had returned to his home in Reading for several short trips that fall, but spent most of his time in Meryton at the Longs' house. Christmas Eve, he was again at Longbourn and did not leave before the Gardiners and the girls all went up to bed and the servants had been dismissed for the night. The girls had left their mother and her suitor alone many times in the past, so that did not concern anyone. If they noticed that their mother seemed to be very bright-eyed and rosy-complexioned in the morning after having been left alone with him, they never mentioned anything to her, even though they each secretly wondered what they had been doing after everyone else went up.

Christmas morning at breakfast, their mother announced that Sir Albert had asked for her hand and that she had accepted. While all three girls were excited for her, they were worried about what would happen to them.

Mrs. Bennet said that they had decided to marry quite quickly, in early February as soon as the banns had been read. Between Christmas and the wedding, Sir Albert spent most of his time with Mrs. Bennet either at Longbourn or at his sister's house. As Mrs. Bennet had become very adept at organizing weddings, this one also went very well. Again, many people came to wish them the best in their marriage. She found that being called "Lady Elford" suited her very well; much better than just "Mrs. Bennet." Before the wedding, she said that Sir Albert had offered to take her to Bath for two months for a wedding trip before returning to Reading. Naturally, she did not indicate that Tommy would be going with them.

Before the wedding, the girls had again talked among themselves about what would happen to them after their mother married. Lizzy was the bravest sister, so she asked, "Mother, what about Tommy? Obviously, you will not be taking him on your wedding trip. Were you planning to leave him here with us? He is just about weaned now, so that should not be a problem. This seems to be a lot of responsibility to give to us. He is just a baby."

"Of course he cannot come to Bath with us! Who would take a baby on their wedding trip? I was hoping that you would be willing to look after him while we are away as he is such a good baby. He reminds me of how good Jane was; she was so quiet and peaceful. I hope that you will not mind doing that for me."

Lizzy continued, "Mother, what about after you return to Reading? What will happen to Tommy? In fact, what will happen to the rest of us? Will you want us to go with you to Reading, or will we be staying here?"

"Lizzy, you know that someone has to stay here to look after the estate. You are doing such a good job! I am not sure what will happen after we go to Reading. Sir Albert says that he is too old to look after a baby. He says he values his peace and quiet at home. We can talk about that after we return from Bath. I was hoping that you and your sisters would be happy to stay here where you know everyone. Lizzy, you are of age and can rely on your Aunt and Uncle Philips if any major problems arise. You will have more money with two of you married aand my needs will be the responsibility of my husband."

Lizzy had worried that this is what would happen. She had been afraid that her mother would want a quiet life with her new husband and that total responsibility for Longbourn and her siblings would fall on her shoulders. She did not argue with her mother as she did not want to spoil her anticipation of the pleasures she would have with her husband and the delights she expected to find in Bath. She knew that she had no choice but to look after Longbourn and her siblings with little help from anyone else.

Elizabeth decided to take the recommendation of the Gardiners and hire a nurse for Tommy. She only had to tell her Aunt Philips that she was looking for one and quickly received applications from several local women. She knew each of these women and settled on a widow she knew quite well who needed a place to live and some income after having tried to live with her married son and his wife, with little success. She had raised four children herself and Elizabeth knew she was very reliable. She immediately took to Tommy and he accepted her willingly with little fuss. This provided Elizabeth with great relief as she was not so closely tied to his needs.

After the wedding, the Gardiners asked Kitty if she would like to come to London to live with them. They made it clear that they expected that Kitty would help with the children when required, but Kitty liked her cousins and did not mind that at all. She was finding life in Meryton to be dull without Lydia to provide excitement, so she was ready for a change. She hoped that she would be taken to some of the entertainments that London would provide, so she agreed to go. They only mentioned this plan in passing to Mrs. Bennet as she seemed to be so unconcerned about her daughters with her mind only on her new situation.

This meant that only Elizabeth and Mary were left at Longbourn with Tommy. As the Gardiners said that they would provide Kitty's pin money in return for her assistance with the children, this meant that Elizabeth was accumulating even more savings, which she hoarded and would not spend on anything other than improvements to the farms. These savings, augmented by the extra income from the estate, meant that her objective of providing a larger dowry for the three of them was slowly coming to fruition.

The Elfords left for Bath immediately after their wedding. Elizabeth had hoped that they would return to Longbourn directly from Bath so decisions could be made about where they would all be living. April came and their two-month wedding trip should now be over, but they did not hear from their mother. Elizabeth once again became busy with the spring planting, but she waited anxiously for word from her mother. However, the Elfords did not appear when she had expected them, and after several weeks of waiting, Elizabeth received a letter from her mother saying that they had stopped in Reading as it was closer to Bath than Meryton. The letter began with exclamations of the many entertainments they had enjoyed in Bath, the people they had met, the dinners to which they had been invited, and the assemblies they had attended.

One paragraph, in which her mother told her how much she was enjoying the charms of Sir Albert, how kind and gentle he was with her, how considerate he was of her, bothered Elizabeth very much as it seemed to be criticisms of her late father. Her mother even hinted at the physical delights she was experiencing, which upset and embarrassed Elizabeth. She certainly did not view her own mother as a passionate woman with physical and emotional needs that only a husband could provide. In fact, she was barely aware that these needs existed in women. However, upon reflection, she saw how her father had treated her mother; it was the opposite of how her new husband was treating her! Elizabeth had loved her father and still felt his loss very keenly, even after almost two years. In spite of this, she was astute enough to see that he had not treated his wife very well at all.

It was only into the second page of her mother's letter that she read, '_We had intended to stop in Reading only for a day or two before continuing on to Longbourn, but as soon as we arrived at Sir Albert's home, we were inundated with friends and relatives of my husband who wanted to meet me. We received a number of invitations for dinner, tea, card parties, and musical evenings that we just could not refuse. I have not had a chance to go to all of them as there are more still planned. Then, when my husband asked me what changes I would like to make to the house, I took advantage of his offer and have begun to change some wall coverings and furnishings. It is a fine house, well-maintained and quite large with a number of guest rooms. The staff is very competent and the cook is just as good as ours at Longbourn.'_ The letter went on describing what she had accomplished and what was still to be done.

It was only near the end of the letter that Elizabeth read, '_We still have not yet decided on what living arrangements would be best for all of you. Our house is so peaceful, which is what my dear husband wants at this time of life. Once I get more settled, we will talk about it.'_

These sentences were what she had feared—her mother was getting settled into her new life and did not appear to miss Longbourn or the rest of her family at all. The letter was only about her new life; her former life and family appear to have been completely forgotten and put behind her. It was obviously not only her husband who was enjoying their peace and quiet; she was as well. While her mother did not say it explicitly, the thought of having her children with her in Reading would be disruptive of their new-found tranquility. After rereading this letter, Elizabeth realized that her mother had not once asked about how her children were faring. She had not mentioned Tommy even once, giving Elizabeth the impression that she did not think about him at all. All her fears about their future, and especially hers, were coming to pass.


	8. Chapter 8

Elizabeth immediately went to Netherfield to show Jane their mother's letter. She was in too great a hurry to get there to walk, so she ordered that her dog cart be prepared for her. She and Jane had developed the habit of seeing each other just about every second day, either at Longbourn or at Netherfield, but it was unusual for Elizabeth to enter in such a rush. She found Jane and said, "Jane, I finally heard from Mama. Here, read her letter! I cannot believe what it says and does not say."

Jane read the letter, twice, then said, "Lizzy, come and sit down. I am afraid that I know your concerns. Mother did not ask about any of us or mention what will happen to you, Mary, or Tommy. I am afraid that what we had thought is coming to pass. Mother is totally immersed in her new life and has basically forgotten about us. She must assume that you will continue to manage Longbourn and look after Tommy. She does not even mention if they will be coming to visit us. If it would do any good, I would write to her to encourage her to think about what this means for you, but I will not waste my time or paper; she seems content to leave things as they are. It appears that she does not realize the responsibilities that have fallen on you."

Elizabeth was surprised that Jane, who never criticized anyone but always looked positively on every situation, almost said something negative about their mother. "Jane, is this going to be my life from now on? Will I always be here at Longbourn looking after the estate and raising Tommy? He is only one! Should I expect this to continue for another twenty years?" She thought back to the second offer of marriage that she had received and wondered if she had thrown away her best chance of happiness. She felt pangs of regret for the words that she had used then as she knew how wrong she had been in her accusations.

"No, Lizzy, we cannot let that happen. It is not fair to you. The least we can do is to made sure that you can get away, probably to London, for more frequent visits. I can easily look after Tommy. He and Anna get along very well and crawl together everywhere, getting into mischief. Tommy is one now and I expect that he will be walking very soon. He is already standing up whenever he can find something to hold on to. I know that Anna will be following his lead. They will be even more fun then, except for the nurses who will have to run to keep up with them.

"Lizzy, you have to have a life beyond Longbourn. You will not become a spinster aunt as you had joked so often. With Mama gone, my household is quieter. While I enjoyed her visits a great deal, she was a bit disruptive with the staff whenever she gave them orders that did not coincide with my instructions. Would you like to have Charles help you with the estate? He is becoming much more comfortable with running Netherfield. In fact, he is planning to buy the estate as he is enjoying his life as a landed gentleman so much. If you like, we can talk to Uncle Philips about having Charles do some things for you. We will do anything we can to make sure you find some pleasure in life." In her mind, she decided to write to her aunt Gardiner to talk about the whole situation with their mother and to suggest that she invite Lizzy to visit them several times a year. She only wanted Lizzy to find the happiness that she had found with her dear Mr. Bingley. She wanted her to find a husband who would make her as happy as she was.

Jane wrote to their aunt, explaining her worries about Lizzy's situation. She indicated that they had heard from their mother only once and that it seemed that she had no intention of returning to Longbourn in the near future or to change the living arrangements for her children. Mrs. Gardiner was not surprised to receive this letter as it was completely consistent with what she had discussed with Lizzy before Mrs. Bennet's wedding.

As a result, she wrote to Lizzy inviting her to go to London as soon as she could. As soon as spring planting was complete, she took Tommy and his nurse to Netherfield and used the Longbourn carriage to go to London, taking Emma, her lady's maid with her. She had invited Mary to go with her, but she said that the noise of London did not suit her, so she decided to stay to look after Longbourn. She said that she would spend more time practicing the piano and studying the scriptures. Elizabeth asked Jane to check on Mary frequently to make sure that there were no problems at Longbourn and not to leave Mary alone in the house. Jane readily agreed to this and promised to have Mary over almost every day so she would not be left alone at Longbourn. They both worried about Mary becoming a recluse.

Elizabeth had not seen Kitty or the Gardiners for three months since her mother's wedding, so their reunion was loud and spirited. She remarked on how the four Gardiner cousins were growing, with the oldest now being twelve and the youngest six. At first, Elizabeth had not been very interested in going to London, but went only after Jane and her aunt had encouraged her. However, once she had arrived at the Gardiners' house, she found that her worries decreased. She was confident that Jane and Charles would look after Tommy and Longbourn and that Mary would be invited to Netherfield often so she would not be left alone for long periods of time as she trusted that Jane would do as she had promised.

London did not offer many entertainments in the early summer, but there were still a few that they attended. While Kitty had been taken to several over the past three months, Elizabeth had not gone to any in Meryton except for one or two assemblies with Jane and Charles as she loved to dance, but there were no new eligible men there to make the dances very interesting. Her social life had been restricted to visits and teas, with an occasional dinner invitation. In London, they went shopping and saw plays and the opera, which she enjoyed a great deal. She chided herself when she found that she kept looking at the other patrons, hoping to see a tall and handsome gentleman. She felt that the weight on her shoulders was lessened from this visit, much more than she had expected.

Elizabeth stayed in London for three weeks until she thought of the heat and smells of the city that would soon occur. These thoughts convinced her that she would rather return to the country before the weather became much warmer. She was in London when Tommy turned one, but she wanted to return to Longbourn in time for Anna's first birthday, which was in June. When she arrived home, she found Mary, as expected, immersed in her practicing the piano and reading religious books. Together, they went to Netherfield to pick up Tommy. Elizabeth had been worried that he would not remember her after having been away from him for several weeks, but he smiled at her and quickly crawled to her to be picked up. Elizabeth's maternal instincts became even stronger at their reunion and his reactions to her. She could not understand how her mother seemed to have lost her feelings for her son when she felt so strongly about him.

They had a small family party at Longbourn for Anna's birthday, with only Elizabeth, Mary, Bingley, Jane, Anna, and the Philipses. Being too young to understand what was happening, Anna and Tommy just enjoyed the fun and the food. Much of the enjoyment by the adults was just watching the babies making a mess.

In July, Elizabeth was working on estate matters in the office at Longbourn that had previously been her father's as she often did in the morning when she heard a carriage arrive. She looked out the window and saw her mother and Sir Albert come up to the front door. She was astounded that she had received no warning that they had been planning to come to Longbourn. Her mother did not wait for anyone to welcome her in; she just walked in as if she were still the resident Mistress here. Mrs. Hill happened to be nearby and welcomed them in warmly. Elizabeth went to greet them and received a hug from her mother and a polite bow from Sir Albert.

"Mama! I did not know you were coming! It is so good to see you! I will have your rooms prepared for you."

"No need for that. We arrived last night and are staying with the Longs. I did not want to burden you with our presence. I thought that it was time to see the old neighbourhood. Oh, Lizzy! We are having such a good time in Reading. There is so much to do there; much more than here."

Elizabeth was stunned to hear that her mother would rather stay with Sir Albert's family than her own, but she had to content herself with the thought that this must have meant that her mother was putting her new husband's desires before her own. They went to the sitting room and Mary came to see who had arrived. She also received a hug from her mother.

"Mama, would you like to see Tommy? You will not believe how he has grown." Without waiting for her answer, Elizabeth asked Mrs. Hill, who was still there, to bring Tommy down. When she carried him in, she handed him to his mother, who appeared to be reluctant to take him. Tommy, not recognizing his mother, did not look happy to be given to this stranger.

His mother held him awkwardly and said, "My yes, he certainly has grown." She then passed him back to Mrs. Hill, who set him on the floor. He crawled over to the couch where Elizabeth was sitting and pulled himself up to a standing position. When Mary beckoned to him, he took a few unsteady steps before plopping down on his rear. He crawled the rest of the way to her.

Elizabeth could not believe that his own mother would appear to be so uninterested in her son, as a son is what her parents had tried so desperately to achieve for so many frustrating years, but had but had resulted in only five daughters. Her mother then said, "He certainly has black hair. He is the only one of you to have such dark hair."

Elizabeth, who was watching her mother closely, noticed that a slight flush suddenly appeared on her face. Her mother's comment and reaction played on her mind. She quickly thought of all that she had heard about her parents' trip to Brighton and her father's death at the hands of Wickham. When she thought of Wickham, she realized that his hair had been almost black. She was horrified when she thought to herself, 'No! That cannot be! But why was my father fighting Mr. Wickham at their rooming house? Mama! What have you done?' She could think of no other explanation, but hoped she was wrong. 'Is that why Mama is so uninterested in Tommy? She obviously does not seem to love him at all. Is she feeling guilty?'

The Elfords did not stay long as her mother said that she wanted to go to Netherfield to see Jane and Anna. Elizabeth asked if they would come for dinner, but they said that their time was uncertain because the Longs had planned several entertainments for them. She did promise to let Elizabeth know if they had an evening free.

After they left, Elizabeth and Mary both sat, very disappointed. Mary said, "Lizzy, how could Mother seem to feel so little for us? They stayed for such as short time! She did not seem interested in Tommy at all. I know that we are supposed to honour our mothers and fathers, but should that not also work the other way as well? Is this how it will be from now on? They would not even stay with us, but we have left her suite untouched, ready for her! Lizzy, I guess you are the Mistress here now, so you should move into her room as she will obviously never use it again. It is much nicer than your own room."

"Mary, I am not sure what to think. I admit that I am shocked; first, that she did not warn us that they were coming; next, that they are staying with the Longs and not with us; and finally, at her apparent lack of interest in any of us. I guess that her new husband is completely occupying her mind. She is so different from how she was with our father. It is hard to believe that she is the same woman. I imagine that this is what we should expect from now on. Mary, we are on our own now." The sisters hugged each other in the apparent loss of their mother's affection.

Jane came over later that afternoon with Anna. "Lizzy, we had such a nice visit from Mother and Sir Albert! They stayed for several hours. She seems so happy with him. She barely let Anna go the whole time. They promised to come to dinner as soon as they are free. Of course, you and Mary will come then."

When Elizabeth told Jane how short their visit to Longbourn had been, and how their mother did not seem interested in Tommy, Jane found that hard to believe. "Lizzy, that cannot be! I hope that you did not say anything to upset them? Why would she seem to prefer Anna to Tommy?"

"Jane, just think that Anna is her granddaughter and she can give her back to you. They obviously do not want Tommy to be with them, so she was likely worried to show much interest in him in case I wanted to give him back to her. From what she said, she is enjoying her new life in Reading so much that she has no intention of returning to any part of her old life. We seem to be just a bad memory to her. Mary even said that I should move into her suite as it is obvious that Mother has no intention of ever occupying it again. Oh Jane! Who will look after Tommy if I do not?"

"I will! Lizzy, I already told you that Charles and I will gladly take her. You have your own life to live. Please do not think that Tommy is your responsibility alone. Any time that you need a break or want to get away, just let me know. You have taken on so much. It is not fair to you."

"Thank you, dearest Jane! I appreciate your kind offer and will take advantage of it whenever I need a break." Elizabeth wanted to talk to someone about her suspicions about Tommy's parentage, but she did not want to horrify her favourite sister with such dreadful thoughts.

Their mother did find an evening free to spend with her daughters, so the three sisters gathered at Netherfield for dinner and conversation with the Elfords. They found that their mother was not very interested in hearing what her daughters had been doing; she talked almost exclusively about her new life in Reading and their plans to spend more time in Bath, which she had loved. She did spend a short time with Anna and Tommy before they were put to bed by their nurses.

None of the sisters saw much more of their mother for the remaining time that she was in Meryton. She spent most of her time with the Longs and the Philipses. It was from their Aunt Philips that they heard that the Elfords had returned to Reading, with no definite plans when she might visit Meryton again.


	9. Chapter 9

Elizabeth, Mary, and Jane each received a letter from Lydia asking if they would like to come to visit her at their estate in Essex. The three sisters got together and decided they would like to go to see their sister's estate, so they decided that Elizabeth would reply for all of them to set the date for the visit. She asked Lydia if she had invited Kitty to come from London to join her sisters. By return mail, Lydia assured her that Kitty would come as well. They decided that a visit of two weeks would be all the time that they could spend away from Longbourn and Netherfield as the harvest of 1814 was just beginning.

When the day of the departure came, they used both the Longbourn and the Bingley carriages; one for the four of them and the other for the children, their nurses, and the lady's maids and Bingley's valet. The mounds of luggage were distributed between the two carriages. It was not too far to Essex and the Carters' estate, so they arrived after just one longish day of travelling. The children had not fussed much but slept some of the way and were entertained by the sights they saw on the way. They were coming to the age of being more aware of their surroundings.

The Carter estate house was about the same size as Longbourn, so they were all housed comfortably. Kitty was already there, so they had a great reunion. With all the noise from the sisters and the two children, Carter asked Bingley to join him in his office for a quiet drink. Lydia and Kitty barely let the children touch the floor, they were so pleased with how they had grown. Of course, the sisters asked Lydia if she might be producing an heir any time soon, but she would only say that she did not think so. Jane, being the only other married sister, decided to find an opportunity to talk to Lydia alone to discuss the signs that she might expect when this happened.

After a satisfying and jolly dinner, Lizzy and Mary entertained them for a short time on the piano, but they were tired from their trip and so did not stay up late.

The next morning, Elizabeth was up early, as was her wont. The morning was clear, so she went out to explore their gardens. When she saw Mr. Carter outside, she went up to him. "Good morning, Mr. Carter! I see that you are an early riser as well."

"Good morning, Miss Elizabeth. I do rise early, much earlier than Lydia. In my years with the militia, we always had reveille early, and now, I find that there is so much to do around the estate that I am glad to get going as early as possible. However, I am sure that you understand what I mean about having so many duties as I believe that you still have taken on the responsibility for the actual management of Longbourn."

"Yes, somehow that seems to have fallen to me. I did not want to take full responsibility for Longbourn, but there was no one else. I have been finding that my father did not spend as much time looking after things as he might have. In the past two years, the yield from Longbourn has increased quite a bit. If your estate suffered from neglect over the past few years, I am sure that you will be able to increase its productivity as well. If you would like to talk about any problems that you have been encountering, I will be glad to discuss them with you to see if I have had the same ones at Longbourn. That is, if you do not mind talking business with a lady?"

"Of course not! I know what you have undertaken and I respect you greatly for it. I am sure we will find time over the next few days to talk about some of the problems that I have encountered. My estate seems to be quite similar to Longbourn, so there are bound to be similarities. I am sure that you will be able to give me some sound advice."

"Mr. Carter, I must say that I am so pleased to have been invited here to see your estate and to see how Lydia is making out as the mistress. I am impressed by what I have seen so far."

"At first, she seemed lost and overwhelmed. I guess your mother did not involve her much in the running of Longbourn, but she is intelligent and a quick learner. I have encouraged her not to be discouraged but to learn from her mistakes and from the staff. Recently, she has become much more confident. I am very happy with her, both as my wife and as the mistress of my estate."

"That is wonderful to hear! I know that she has always been intelligent, but our mother did not try to rein in her behaviour, no matter what she did. I am pleased that you, as her husband, have been such a good influence on her.

"Mr. Carter, there is something else that I wanted to talk to you about with no one else around. I am still not clear on exactly what happened the night my father was killed. I have heard only the barest details. May I ask you if you were actually on the scene when it happened?"

"No, I was not. I went back to our encampment immediately after the ball that evening. During the night, Colonel Forster had me wakened and assigned me to look after Miss Lydia and her mother."

"You must have heard something about what happened. No one will tell me much. Did you talk to the officers who were first on the scene?"  
"I did hear some things over the next several days. Basically, what I know is that there was some kind of altercation between Wickham and your father and that Wickham pushed your father down the stairs."

"I still have not heard why Wickham was at their rooming house or what the altercation was all about. Have you heard anything about that?"  
"No. Nothing." Elizabeth noticed that Carter could not look her in the eyes when he made this denial. "Miss Elizabeth, I hope that you will let this matter drop. What is done is done. Please, just let it be."

She was then quite sure that her worst fears were true and that Mr. Carter suspected that there was more to the story than was apparent. Her mother and Wickham must have been together before her father began his fight with Mr. Wickham and her father must have become aware of what was going on. That seemed to be the most logical reason for the fight. While she was very happy that Longbourn had a Bennet heir, she could never raise her suspicions that Tommy might not actually be a Bennet. She just wished that her mother would not be so disinterested in her son. Did her mother not have a conscience after all? Or was her conscience making her less loving for her son?

"Thank you, Mr. Carter. I believe you are correct. It is just that I hate the feeling that I do not know all of the details about anything. I will not ask you about this again. Now, was there some work that you had been wanting to do this morning? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I just want to talk to my tenants to make sure the harvest is going well. I will be glad for your company. I will be going on horseback to save time."

"Thank you, but I am not a good rider. I would just hold you up. I will stay here to enjoy your gardens and let you go on your way; I will see you later. If I see that Mr. Bingley is up and ready to go, I will send him to you if you let me know which farms you will be visiting. I believe that he might not be displeased to be able to escape from the five of us sisters for a while, even though I cannot understand why he would not want to discuss fashions and lace with us!" She smiled when she said this.

He chuckled at this and told her where he would be and left for the stables. Elizabeth walked in his gardens for a while, then went in to break her fast. She found that all of her sisters were there with the two children. She saw that Mr. Bingley seemed out of place among all the sisters and children, so she told him that Mr. Carter had invited him to go find him when he was ready. This he was certainly pleased to do.

When Carter and Bingley returned, both Jane and Elizabeth noticed that the brothers-in-law seemed to get along very well. They had obviously enjoyed their time together and talked about some of the problems they had encountered and the possible solutions for them. Mr. Carter seemed pleased to receive advice from someone who had so recently been in his position as a new landowner. Later, Elizabeth joined them to ask for their advice about some of the problems she had encountered at Longbourn. She did not really need their advice, but she knew that their fragile male egos would be boosted by her asking for their help.

The sisters had a great visit for the two weeks they were there. They made several trips to the nearest town to see what shops would be found there. Elizabeth had expected that her sisters would want to go shopping, so she had brought extra cash to make the trip even more exciting for them. Only Jane declined her offer of cash as she said that her husband gave her a generous amount of pin money so her sisters could share her portion. Mary, Kitty, and Lydia gladly shared this windfall without hesitation. Elizabeth was not surprised that Mary bought only books and music.

Near the end of their visit, they decided that they were having such a good time that they just had to get together again in the not-too-distant future. Jane suggested that they should all come to Netherfield for Christmas as she had the largest house. She also said that she would invite the Gardiners and their mother to come to join them as well. Everyone thought that this was a great idea, so they made their plans accordingly. Elizabeth wondered if their mother would come, but was quite sure that the Gardiners would as they had such good times in past Christmases when they had all been together. She said that she would want some of them to stay at Longbourn as there were empty rooms and she and Mary would like to have the company.

The day came when they were to leave. Mr. Gardiner sent his carriage for Kitty and the others left in the two carriages as they had come. They were quieter on their way home as the sisters knew they would miss Lydia and Kitty. However, they looked forward to getting together again at Christmas.


	10. Chapter 10

When they arrived back in Meryton, both Bingley and Elizabeth were quickly immersed in the harvests that were already being brought in. Both estates saw good results as the investments they had both made in their lands were paying off. To reward the tenants of both estates, Elizabeth and Mary talked to Bingley and Jane about holding harvest festivals for all tenants and staff. Rather than hold two separate parties, they decided they would sponsor a joint one and that it should be held on Netherfield's lawns as they were larger than those at Longbourn.

They became quite excited with their planning and decided that every tenant and all staff members would be included. To accomplish this, they would hire temporary staff from the village and anyone else who would be available to help for the occasion. The party would be quite simple, with plenty of ale and food, separate games for the children, and dancing for the adults. They picked a date and began to line up the temporary help. Word soon spread of the party and excitement was high. They decided to invite the most important families from Meryton to join them, even though they had no direct connections with either estate. They set up a separate tent for this group so they would not dampen the spirits of the workers who were the reason for hosting the party.

The day of the party arrived and the weather co-operated, being warm and dry. Large tents had been borrowed and erected on the lawns. The staff from both Netherfield and Longbourn had necessarily been involved in the preparations and cooking, but they were given their freedom at noon when the temporary staff took over. The ale flowed and the happy noises grew. The musicians did their best to cater to their audience and played only music suitable for country dancing. The other invited guests enjoyed watching the frolicking and dancing from the safety of their special tent. Rather than ale, they mainly drank wine, but they all ate the same food, which was not as elaborate as what they were used to eating.

When the sun set, torches were lit so the merriment could continue. One of Elizabeth's main concerns was that the darkness and plentiful ale might encourage too much improper behaviour. From her sighting of several couples disappearing into the darkness, she hoped that only marriages rather than fighting might be the result. However, with the darkness, many families with small children began to leave for home after coming to either Bingley or Elizabeth to thank them for such a great harvest party. It was not long before only the older folk were left and the noise became much less. The invited guests from Meryton all came to their hosts and congratulated them for such a good party. They could easily see the amount of goodwill that their tenants and staff had toward their employers. The temporary staff began to clean up so there would not be so much work for the permanent staff in the morning.

Elizabeth had asked Mary to take Tommy home when he became sleepy, but she decided that she had to stay to make sure that the final partygoers did not feel abandoned and that the cleanup went well. Jane had taken Anna up to her bed as well, leaving one of the local girls to look after him. Bingley was in his element for the whole party and his outgoing personality was perfectly suited to act as host. He seemed to be continuously in motion, moving from group to group, making everyone feel quite comfortable. He was one of the very last people to leave the tents, even helping with the cleanup. Finally, everyone had gone and the only remnants were the tents, tables, and chairs. Only then did he go in to his bed.

The next morning, almost everyone slept later than was normal. Even Elizabeth had found that she was unusually tired from all the work she had undertaken over the past several days. When she did get up, she found that Tommy's nurse was looking after him and that Mary was having her breakfast. After they had eaten, Elizabeth and Mary went in the dog cart to Netherfield to see what help they needed for the final cleanup. They found that Bingley had things under control and was supervising the taking down of the tents and tables. They went in to find Jane was with Anna and that she also needed no extra help. They did not stay long but soon returned to Longbourn.

Late fall, after the harvest, things were fairly quiet on both estates. Bingley joined some of the local gentlemen to go shooting while the women relaxed at their normal pursuits. It was early, but the three sisters began to plan for Christmas activities as they felt so confident after the success of their harvest party.

"Jane," Elizabeth said, "I have been thinking of where our guests should be housed. I would like to have the Gardiners stay at Longbourn as they normally do. Do you think that Kitty and Lydia might be happier here? I know that Mr. Carter seemed to get along very well with Mr. Bingley. I am sure that Kitty and Lydia would like to have as much time together as possible. Have you heard from Mother?"

"Lizzy, I have been thinking the same as you. I am sure that Charles would like to have Mr. Carter here and that Kitty might like a break from the Gardiners. Of course, we will all be together most of the time. No, I have not heard from Mother, but expect to quite soon.

"What are your plans? I would like to see you go to visit Aunt Gardiner now. Lizzy, you need to get away and to see more of society. I know that they will take you to some of the entertainments that will be beginning now at the beginning of the season." Jane decided that she would write to their Aunt Gardiner to suggest that Lizzy be invited to go to London for a week or two so she could get away.

Their aunt quickly responded with an invitation, which Elizabeth accepted at Jane's urging. She dropped Tommy and his nurse off at Netherfield and took her carriage to London. Even though it had only been a couple of months since she had seen Kitty, they greeted each other very warmly. Of course, her Gardiner cousins were pleased to see her as well. She was impressed by how much they seemed to have grown since she had seen them last.

The Gardiners took Elizabeth and Kitty to several public entertainments, which they all enjoyed tremendously. Several times, when they were not going out, they invited guests to dinner. Both sisters noticed that there always seemed to be unmarried young men among the guests, making it obvious that their aunt and uncle were trying to match them both up with men who might make suitable husbands for them. Kitty was more interested in these men than Elizabeth. Most of them were strictly from families in trade, as this is who their uncle mainly met in his work.

When Elizabeth considered each of these young men as potential suitors, she found them all lacking in one way or another. Either their manners were not quite up to a certain standard or their conversation was limited or they did not have the qualities that she believed that a gentleman should have. When she looked at them, not one of them seemed to tall enough or handsome enough to tempt her. When she appreciated that her ideal suitor must have certain physical attributes, she blushed when she realized that her vision of the perfect gentleman was someone she had not seen since Hunsford. Not one of them came anywhere near matching this ideal. Her next thought was wondering how he could still be in her mind as the model of what a gentleman should be like, even thought she had not consciously thought of this particular gentleman in many months. She last saw him in April 1812 and here it was November 1814, with not one word heard about him in all that time. She knew that the Gardiners did not move in anywhere near the same social circles as Darcy, but her eyes keep wandering whenever they were out and she saw a man who was tall and dark-haired.

Elizabeth saw that Kitty was quite interested in one man in particular, a Mr. Frederick Roper. He was reasonably handsome and personable and spoke to Kitty whenever he could. Mr. Roper was the son of a business associate of their Uncle Gardiner and his parents appeared to try to further his interest in Kitty, likely for business reasons. Elizabeth could see that her Uncle Gardiner appeared to approve of this match, perhaps also for business reasons, but perhaps to ensure that Kitty's future would not be reliant on his support. Elizabeth assumed that her uncle would not put a man forward who would not make a good husband, so that potential concern for Kitty was alleviated substantially.

Before she returned to Longbourn, Elizabeth found an opportunity to be alone with Kitty. "Kitty, it is obvious that Mr. Roper is interested in you. What are your feelings about him?"

"Lizzy, from what I have seen of him, I quite like him. He is very nice and his appearance does not displease me. His future appears to be good as he is his father's oldest son and he is already heavily involved in the family business. You know that I cannot expect to rely on our relatives for very long, so I must take advantage of any opportunity to be independent of them. I cannot be too particular about who I accept, but Mr. Roper seems to be about as good a suitor as I could expect.

"Lizzy, if he does offer for me, my dowry will be a consideration. I know that we each had only about one thousand pounds from Mama's original portion, but you found money to give Lydia something on top of that. What might I expect now? Is Longbourn earning enough to give us each a larger dowry?"

"Kitty, that is an important question. Longbourn has been returning quite a bit more than when Father was managing it and I have been saving as much as I could, even though I have invested funds in improvements to the estate for Tommy's future benefit. We have also reduced expenses as Mama, Jane, and Lydia are no longer supported by Longbourn funds. I have spoken to both our uncles as they are the trustees of the estate until Tommy reaches maturity, and they both agree that the dowries of the three of us unmarried sisters should be double what they were originally. Your Uncle Gardiner will tell Mr. Roper, if he asks, that you will bring two thousand with you. That might be important for their business."

"Lizzy! That is wonderful news. You have obviously done a very good job in running Longbourn; much better than Father, but I doubt that you have received the credit that you should for this. Tommy will be very lucky. But what about you? Surely you will not be tied to Longbourn until he takes over? What about your future? Lizzy, you need to find a husband. It is obvious that the Gardiners have tried to introduce us to suitable men who might be attracted to us. Have you seen anyone who might interest you?"

"No. Even though I have also realized what the Gardiners are trying to do for the both of us, not one of them has appealed to me. As I used to say jokingly, I will likely end up as the old maiden aunt teaching my nieces and nephews to play the piano very badly. Someone has to care for Tommy as our Mother is not interested in him. I am pleased to see that she is happy with her new husband, but I am sorry for Tommy. I am all that he has."

"No, Lizzy, that is not true. I know that Jane has said she would very willingly look after him. You know that Mr. Bingley is such a good man that he would be a good father figure for him. Tommy will need a man as a role model when he is growing up. Lizzy, please do not give up yet. I know there are men out there who would make you happy. As for looking after Longbourn, I am sure that our uncles would not object to the hiring of a steward. It should not be strictly up to you to manage the estate." Elizabeth did not dare mention that not one man that she had met came anywhere near measuring up to her ideal image of the perfect gentleman.

After this talk with Kitty, her Aunt Gardiner found a quiet moment to speak to Elizabeth. "Lizzy, your Uncle and I have been talking about you and Mary and Longbourn. We have not said anything about you two living there with no man in residence as we thought it would only be temporary. However, it has been almost a year since your Mother married and left. Have you heard any comments about the impropriety of this arrangement?"

"We have not, at least not directly. Mary and I have thought about this, but we also believe it is only temporary until we marry. At least we have Mr. Hill living in the house, so we are not completely alone. If it does become a problem, I suppose that Jane and Charles would let us live with them for a while. I hope that you and Uncle are not worried about us as we have not had any problems at all. However, I will keep your comments in mind."

She returned to Longbourn and collected Tommy from Netherfield. The love she felt for her brother was more like that of a mother to her child. She was not sure how she could give him up if she ever married, but that event seemed unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note: **_A number of people have asked where Darcy is in my story. Patience! Patience! Good things will come to those who wait._

Christmas 1814 came and all five sisters gathered with the Gardiners and Philipses at Netherfield for the celebration. Their mother did come to Meryton with Sir Albert, but they again stayed at the Longs' house. As Jane and Elizabeth had discussed, the Carters and Kitty stayed with the Bingleys and the Gardiners at Longbourn with Elizabeth and Mary. The Elfords joined everyone at Netherfield for Christmas dinner and brought the Longs with them. Elizabeth asked Mr. Bingley if he had invited his own sisters to join them, but he said that his sisters preferred to stay in London so they would not miss any of the entertainments available then. While Elizabeth only commiserated with Mr. Bingley for their absence, secretly she was pleased they were not there to put a damper on everyone's high spirits. She assumed that his sisters just did not want to be with the Bennet family, even for their brother.

There were three very important announcements made during the Christmas dinner. First, Jane and Charles announced that they were expecting another child. Then, Lydia and Mr. Carter announced that she was also expecting their first child. Finally, Kitty said that Mr. Roper had asked for her hand and she had agreed. She said that they had set a wedding date as the middle of March, just before Easter. She added that her betrothed and his father were looking for a house for them so they could set up their own household immediately upon their marriage. Everyone congratulated her without reservation.

With all these important announcements, they had great reasons to celebrate. Before the ladies separated from the men, the two uncles, Gardiner and Philips, rose to add another reason to celebrate. They said how satisfied they were with Elizabeth's management of Longbourn and that the estate was earning more than it ever had, so much that they would both be pleased to hire a steward if Elizabeth wanted to stop being so involved in the day-to day affairs. Everyone was pleased to hear this and pleaded with her to take advantage of this offer.

She rose and said, "I am happy to know that I have the option that I can me relieved of these duties whenever I choose, but I am finding that I am actually enjoying being kept busy with them. I have been finding that they are now taking less of my time than they had before, so it is not all that onerous. It is a good feeling to know that I am doing something well and that this will benefit Tommy in the future, which it now appears to be more assured. Perhaps I will take advantage of having more free time. I would like to travel to see more of England."

Several of the family at the table thought that this would be the perfect time for her mother to invite her and Mary to go to visit her in Reading, but her mother said nothing. Even though Mr. Gardiner looked deliberately and pointedly at his sister, she did not take the hint. The Gardiners then knew that it would be up to them to see that their niece got away from Longbourn more often. He was disappointed with his sister, but that was not the first time that this had happened.

Shortly after Christmas, the Elfords went back to Reading, the Carters returned to Essex, and the Gardiners and Kitty went home to London. Life in Hertfordshire was quiet once again. During January and February, Elizabeth and Mary lived quietly except for visits to Netherfield, occasional dinners out, and visits to their Aunt Philips. They attended the two assemblies held in Meryton during that time, but neither enjoyed them very much. Mary did not approve of frivolous events such as dancing, and Elizabeth found no new gentlemen with whom she might dance.

When March neared, Elizabeth was busy making sure all the farms on the estate were ready for spring planting and she and Mary made ready to go to London for Kitty's wedding. They went several weeks before that important date so they could help Kitty prepare her trousseau, leaving Tommy with Jane. Elizabeth took extra funds with her so that the Gardiners did not have to bear this expense. The four ladies had fun shopping for everything that Kitty might need for her married life. They had special fun looking for a nightgown that she could wear on her wedding night that would be sure to make that night was memorable to the new couple.

A few days before the wedding, the Carters came to town and stayed with some of his relatives, the Bingleys came and stayed with the Hursts. They brought Anna and Tommy with them but left Tommy and his nurse at the Gardiners' house so he could get to know his cousins better. Their mother and Sir Albert came and stayed with friends of Sir Albert. The Philipses had said that they could not get away from Meryton, so they were the only relatives who did not come.

The only unsettling moment occurred just before the wedding when Elizabeth was talking to Jane, Mary, and Lydia. She said, "While I am very happy for Kitty, I am not sure about her marrying a man who is so heavily involved in trade. We are gently born and were raised as ladies. Do any of you worry about Kitty's future? Will her marrying a man whose social status is far beneath ours affect how society will look on us?"

Jane was quick to defend Kitty's choice. "Lizzy, I cannot say anything negative about her choice. Look at me; Charles came from a family in trade, but he is trying to raise his status by now being the master of Netherfield. I do not believe that our children will suffer at all from my choice. I can only hope that Kitty will help her husband raise their status in the future as he appears to have a very good business that may enable them to look for an estate in a few years. I understand your concern, but I am optimistic about them."

Both Mary and Lydia agreed with Jane, but Mary's arguments were based more that the goodness of a person should be the main reason for their status, and not the social group into which they were born. Although Elizabeth was not completely satisfied, she hoped that Jane was right in what she had said.

The wedding and the wedding breakfast went very well and the newlyweds left for a week in Bath. The Carters, Bingleys, and Elfords then left for their homes. Mary said that she wanted to return to Longbourn with the Bingleys, but Elizabeth had been convinced to stay with the Gardiners for an extra week before returning home. She decided that Tommy would stay with her in London as their cousins were enjoying playing with him.

Elizabeth found that the Gardiners had planned to keep her busy that week. Every night, they either went out to see plays or music, or they invited guests to come for dinner. Again, every dinner included at least one unmarried young man, but Elizabeth was not interested in any of them. Her Aunt Gardiner tried to talk to her to find out what she found lacking in her guests and what she wanted in a possible suitor, but Elizabeth was vague and would not open up to her. This was unusual as her Aunt Gardiner had always been a good confidante, much more sensible that her mother.

During the days when the weather was clear, Elizabeth and Tommy went with their cousins to a park so they could run off their extra energy. She had kept Tommy with her and she delighted to see him trying to run to keep up with his cousins. At almost two, he was still very unsteady on his feet, so his attempts at running resulted in many falls. Fortunately, his cousins were patient with him and included him in their games. At the end of the week, Elizabeth and Tommy returned to Longbourn. She was pleased to learn that the planting was going well on all of the Longbourn farms.

That spring and summer of 1815, several events of special note happened. In March, word came that Napoleon had escaped from his exile on the Isle of Elba and had returned to France, where he again raised an army of loyal Frenchmen. Then in July, the great news was that there had been a huge battle at Waterloo with the French forces that resulted in a resounding victory for the English and their allies. Napoleon was captured and sent into exile to the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. As several families in and around Meryton had sons in the army, this news of his final defeat was very welcome.

That summer, both Jane and Lydia were due to give birth. Jane's delivery came first, a son who they named Donald Charles. Elizabeth and Mary went to Netherfield with Tommy to look after Anna while Jane was in labour, but, of course, neither was not allowed to in the delivery room with Jane when she gave birth. Both Anna and Tommy detected the excitement even though they were not sure what was happening. The birth went well and the baby was presented to his sister and toddler uncle. Elizabeth and Mary took Anna and her nurse back to Longbourn for a few days to give Jane a chance to recuperate in peace.

Then word came that Lydia's time had come and that their mother had gone to Essex to be with her favourite daughter at this critical time. This news upset Elizabeth as her mother had not bothered to attend to Jane for either of her deliveries. The news just reinforced Elizabeth's poor opinion of her mother. She just seemed to have lost all interest in her family, except possibly for Lydia. Lydia's baby was a daughter that she called Frances Anne, obviously after their mother, which pleased her very much.

A further piece of news that did not excite the sisters at first was that the parson in Meryton announced that he would be retiring and that a curate would be coming to replace him until a permanent parson could be appointed. The first Sunday that they saw the curate, they were not impressed. He was young, not all that good-looking, and seemed to be shy until he began to preach; he was hesitant at first until he warmed up to the theme in his sermon. During his sermon, Elizabeth saw that Mary was watching him very closely and following his words with interest. After the service, Elizabeth found Jane and suggested that she invite the curate to dine at Netherfield and invite her and Mary as well. Jane immediately saw what Lizzy was planning and she agreed that this could be a good opportunity for Mary to meet someone who might be interesting to her.

The conversation at dinner did not appear to be promising at the beginning as the curate, Mr. John Tower, proved to be quite shy and seemed to find it difficult to talk to young unmarried ladies or even Jane. Elizabeth saw that she had better find a topic that he might be able to talk about. She turned to him with a smile and said, "Mr. Tower, I was confused about what your sermon was really addressing. I know that there was a deep message that you were trying to convey, but I seemed to have missed it. Would you mind explaining it to me?"

She was correct in her assumption that he would talk more easily about the message in his sermon and he began to explain the essence of what he had tried to convey to the congregation. When he came to a pause in his explanation, Lizzy, who was sitting next to Mary, nudged her with her knee and looked pointedly at her. "Mary, were you not speaking to us about this exact point some time ago?"

Mary was flustered at first, then realized that her sister wanted her to respond to Mr. Tower. She reached deep inside her and found the courage to speak. "Yes, I was. I was reading Fordyce's Sermons and found almost the same message that you talked to us about in your sermon this morning. However, Mr. Tower, I found your sermon was much clearer in conveying that message than what I read. I enjoyed hearing you speak very much." Mary continued to compliment the curate and everyone saw that his ears turned red at Mary's words. Once started on this religious topic, he and Mary continued to talk for the rest of the dinner, mainly to each other, much to the delight of the others.

After dinner, the ladies did not separate from the gentlemen but they all went into the sitting room. Elizabeth said, "Mary, if I play several pieces, will you then follow me with some more?" They took turns playing, much to the enjoyment of everyone. Elizabeth had stayed on the piano bench to turn the pages while Mary played. When she finished, her sister seemingly innocently led Mary to sit next to Mr. Tower on the couch.

"Miss Mary, you play very well. I thoroughly enjoyed your music. I do not often get a chance to hear such fine playing."

Jane saw that their conversation might need a boost. "Mr. Tower, please tell us about your family. Do you have brothers and sisters?"

"I have two older brothers but no sisters. My oldest brother will inherit our estate and my other brother entered the army. I chose the church." Both Jane and Elizabeth now understood why he seemed to be so shy around ladies.

Mary again found the courage to talk, "No sisters! There are five of us sisters and only one brother. Three sisters are married, so just Elizabeth and I are left at home with our brother, who is very young. Our father died several years ago and our mother has remarried and is living with her new husband in Reading. Elizabeth has been looking after our brother and the estate for several years."

The conversation went a bit easier after they began to talk about their families. Before Mr. Tower left, Elizabeth invited him to come to Longbourn for tea. She and Jane smiled at each other at this auspicious start. Poor Bingley thought that they were up to something, but he missed detecting their match-making plans. It was only after everyone had left that Jane explained to him what was happening. Bingley was pleased to hear this as he shared their concerns about Mary's future. Just like his wife, he wanted each sister to find the happiness in life that he had found with his beloved Jane.

Mr. Tower did come to Longbourn for tea that week, the first of a number of visits. For some reason, Elizabeth always seemed to be called away at some point in time when he was there, leaving him alone with Mary for varying lengths of time that increased with each visit. Elizabeth knew that it would not be completely acceptable for her to invite Mr. Tower to dinner if no other gentlemen were attending, so she asked her Aunt and Uncle Philips to come so she could invite him with propriety. Her aunt quickly saw what Elizabeth was planning and she went along with it wholeheartedly. At dinner, Mary was seated next to Mr. Tower and everyone else saw that they talked to each other, even if their talk was a bit stilted. After dinner, Mary again entertained everyone on the piano, which their guest seemed to enjoy very much.

This routine continued for several months, into the late autumn. Finally, Elizabeth decided to ask Mary outright. "Mary, you seem to get along very well with Mr. Tower. Have you two spoken about the future?"

"No. He does seem to like to be with me, but he is quite shy."

"Mary, remember when Jane almost lost Mr. Bingley when she did not openly show him that she liked him? I do not want this to happen to you as well. Do you like him? I believe that you two are well-suited for each other."

"I do like him and he is less shy now when we are together than when we first met him. I believe that he likes to be with me."

Lizzy decided she had better push them or they just might miss a good chance at their future happiness. "Why do you not speak to him about the future, perhaps only indirectly if you cannot ask him directly? He is so shy that he may not find the courage to raise the issue with you. From how he is with you, I believe that he likes you a lot. If it will help, you will have a dowry of two thousand pounds, and perhaps a bit more than that."

"Lizzy, the more I see of him, the more I believe that we would make a good couple. I could help him in so many ways. But how could I possibly raise this possibility with him?"

"Mary, perhaps you could use scripture. Did God not make a promise to Adam 'to make a help meet for him,' meaning someone who will be fully compatible with him and will be a source of strength for him? What if you asked him if he had ever thought about having someone who could help him with his pastoral duties and to be with him in the future? You might begin the conversation by saying how much you admire him and would like to help him in any way that you could. You could say that you believe that God made you the perfect helpmate for him, that you think that you are destined to be with him as his helper. You will need to find a time when you two are alone and that the topic arises naturally. I will certainly help you in this."

"We do talk about many different things, so I should be able to find a way to bring up Adam and God's promise to provide him with a helpmate."

"Mary, has he ever held your hand, or offered you his arm to hold?" Mary shook her head negatively. "Then you have to find a way to get close to him when you talk to him. You might just touch his arm and smile at him. You have a very nice smile. No man can refuse a woman anything when she looks him in the eye and smiles at him."

"Lizzy, I am not sure that I could do that. Would he not think that I am too forward or even wanton?"

"Mary, think of how Jane almost lost Mr. Bingley. If you really want Mr. Tower, you will find it in you to do this. Please try. I want to see you happy and I am convinced that you and he will make a perfect couple. You have to find the strength in you to do this. I know that you can do it."


	12. Chapter 12

Several days later, Mr. Tower again came for tea. Elizabeth found that her presence was needed elsewhere, so she left them alone after looking pointedly at Mary. She thought that, where most people would need only about ten minutes to settle things, she gave them thirty. Before re-entering the sitting room, she peeked in and saw that they were sitting close together and that he was holding Mary's hand. They were smiling at each other. Elizabeth cleared her throat noisily and then went in. She saw that Mr. Tower hastily let go of Mary's hand.

"Lizzy! Mr. Tower just made me the happiest woman in England! He asked for my hand and I have accepted him."

"Mary! That is wonderful news!" Lizzy went and kissed Mary on the cheek, then shook Mr. Tower's hand. "I am so happy for both of you. Mr. Tower, Mary is of age, so no permissions are needed. If it means anything, I give you my blessing wholeheartedly. Have you set a date? If not, I would suggest that you may not want a long engagement. Christmas is just a month away and we are expecting that all of our family will be here then. Perhaps a date just before or just after would be quite convenient for our family. What about your family? Will they come for your wedding?"

Mr. Tower's ears turned red. "Miss Elizabeth, thank you for your suggestions. I will talk to Miss Mary about the date. As for my family, my parents will likely be in town over Christmas and may be able to come here then. I will certainly invite them. Now, I should be going back to the manse."

Elizabeth was pleased to hear that he had immediately said that he would consult with Mary before deciding on a date, as that implied that he would treat her as a partner in their marriage.

"Mr. Tower, before you go, I would also suggest that you speak to our uncle, Mr. Philips as he is one of the trustees of the estate. He is the person with whom you will need to hear about the marriage contract and Mary's dowry."

"Thank you for telling me this, Miss Elizabeth. I will do that. Now I really must leave."

Elizabeth allowed Mary to show him to the door. When Mary returned, Elizabeth said, "Mary, tell me how you went about it."

"Lizzy, I have to thank you for your suggestions. I did just what you said and asked how I could help him with any of his ecclesiastical duties. I told him how I admired him and said that I thought I could be a good helpmate for him. That phrase must have made him think of God's promise to Adam to provide him a help 'meet' for him. I could see that he was trying to say something, but he only turned very red. I remembered what you said and I found the courage to take his hand in mine. I told him that I thought that he was the best man that I knew and that I hoped that he would not be assigned to go somewhere else as I would miss him so much.

"Then he said that he admired me as well and he asked if I had ever thought about being the wife of a parson. He did not actually ask me to marry him, but I smiled my best at him and said that I would be very pleased to be his wife. That is when you came in."

Elizabeth laughed and was soon joined by Mary. "Mary, I am so glad that I was able to help. I was afraid that he would be too shy to ask you, and I was right."

"Do you think that I was too forward with him?"

"No, heavens no! He obviously needed a slight push and it sounds as if you did it just right. Would you like to go to Netherfield to tell Jane? She will be so happy for you."

They ordered the carriage and had Tommy made ready to go. Needless to say, Jane was ecstatic to hear the news and she also laughed when Mary told him what she had done. "Mary, I am so pleased for you. I know that you will be happy with Mr. Tower and that you will make the perfect wife for him. Now, you may have to guide him in many different ways as he is so shy. I hope that I do not shock you when I say that I have found that I have had to guide Mr. Bingley in several ways but he has never complained about it. I am not even sure if he is aware of what I have been doing.

"Mary, before you marry, I will talk to you about your wedding night. If I do not tell you what to expect and what to do, your marriage may not be as happy as it could be. Lizzy, sorry, but you cannot hear this yet. When your time comes, I have a feeling that I will not need to talk about marrying a man who is as shy as my husband was about these things or that Mr. Tower is likely to be. I was lucky as Aunt Gardiner gave me some of the best advice that I have ever received. If I had listened only to Mama, I know that my marriage would not have been as happy as it has been. I still laugh at what Mama told me to do."

The three sisters had a merry visit and allowed Tommy and Anna to run freely while they talked. The only cloud was the realization that Lizzy would be the only sister not married and that she would be living alone with Tommy at Longbourn. They all knew that this situation was not looked on as being proper by society, so they talked about finding a mature companion to stay at Longbourn with her. As long as Mary was living there, their situation was minimally acceptable, but one unmarried lady living alone was just not done. Jane and Mary both again wondered what they could do to find her a husband. Jane felt that something was holding Lizzy back from accepting any man's attention, but she was not sure what it was. While she had long known about Mr. Darcy's proposal at Hunsford, she knew that they had never met since then, so it could not be that Lizzy was still longing for him.

That Christmas of 1815 was again very merry for everyone as there were now two babies for the sisters to hold and spoil, two toddlers to chase, and a wedding to anticipate. Mary and Mr. Tower had decided to marry on December 27th as both families could all be together on that day. The Elfords came to Meryton and again stayed with the Longs. Mr. Tower's parents and oldest brother came on the 26th for the wedding and stayed at Netherfield with the Carters and Ropers. His other brother could not get leave from the army even though the war with the French was now over. The Gardiners stayed at Longbourn as they usually did. Everyone, including the Philipses and Elfords gathered for dinner at Netherfield on the 26th, so it was quite a large group that evening.

When Mr. Roper's younger brother arrived at Netherfield and Jane found that he was unmarried, she made sure that he sat next to Elizabeth at dinner. He proved to be personable and not unattractive, so Jane had high hopes for her sister. After dinner, he again sat by Elizabeth until she was asked to play several pieces on the piano after Mary had showed her talents. Jane found an opportunity to speak to her Aunt Gardiner about inviting Lizzy to London after the wedding and trying to get her to meet with Mr. Roper while she was there. Neither Jane nor her aunt had seen that Lizzy had shown any special interest in him, but they decided that they would try to get them together to see if she might show him any attention. They wondered if his also being involved in his father's business was an impediment to Lizzy for her being interested in him.

The morning of the wedding saw all her sisters, her mother, and her two aunts arriving at Longbourn to help Mary dress for this most important day of her life. In spite of all this help, she was ready to leave for the church on time. She had asked her Uncle Gardiner to give her away, so he came in his carriage to take her and Elizabeth to the church. Everyone in attendance saw that Mary looked her very best and that she made a beautiful bride. Of course, what bride is not beautiful on her wedding day?

After the ceremony, everyone went to Longbourn for the wedding breakfast. The newlyweds were planning to spend their first nights at the manse, so they stayed to see the last guests depart. When they were finally alone in the manse and were ready to go up, Mary thought about her talks with Jane and Aunt Gardiner. Both had similar advice, and described what she should expect from the actual first coupling. Mary had not noticed that neither Jane nor her aunt expected that much would happen that first night as the newlyweds were both so shy. However, Jane was more explicit and stressed how Mary must not be overly afraid of guiding her husband to ensure that they both found their maximum enjoyment from the most personal marital act. She told Mary not to be bashful in telling him how much she wanted to be a good wife to him and that she was looking forward to loving him in every possible way. She said that Mary must tell him how much she trusted him and loved him, even if she were not sure how deep her feelings actually were. She told Mary to keep telling him that he was the greatest gentleman that she had ever met to build up his confidence. She said that they must kiss, even if Mary had to take the initiative and to allow him to explore her body, even to offer herself to him for his exploration. She should keep asking him to be gentle with her, but to expect that the very first time that he would not be able to be patient and that it would not be as satisfying to her as it would be in later joinings. When that happened, Mary must not express even the slightest disappointment in him but had to tell him how wonderful he was, no matter what. She said that Mary must encourage him to repeat the act as soon as possible after the first time, even if she had to wait for the second night for this, and that the second time he would be able to be more patient and that she should not be shy in gently guiding him to do what felt best for her.

Mary tried to keep all this in mind and she found that it happened just as Jane had said that it would. The first time was indeed much too quick for her to raise her passion to the ultimate level that Jane had described, but she praised him and encouraged him to repeat his efforts. She cuddled very close to him and kissed him shyly. As he did not seem to be resistant to her attentions, they soon were kissing inexpertly but passionately and he was again exploring her body, much to her delight. This second time she guided him more and she began to feel the unbelievable feelings that Jane had promised were possible. However, he was once again just a bit too quick for her and she knew that there was more to come for her. She felt that she had almost made it. Mary decided to determine if a third try would be possible, so she slowly and surely encouraged him to make the effort. This time, he took much longer and she soared to the heavens with him. Then she allowed him to fall asleep, which he did very quickly. They both went to sleep with smiles on their faces.

Jane had said not to let him leave her to go to his own bed, but to just to hold him all night. This she did and was pleasantly surprised to be awakened even before the sun rose by his gentle ministrations to her person. Her welcome reception of her husband's attentions again resulted in their complete and mutual enjoyment. Before they fell asleep again, she decided that she would thank Jane for her advice and that she might even feel forward enough to follow Jane's last piece of advice and to repeat their embraces when they were not encumbered by any nightwear. Was it just yesterday that she had doubted that she could possibly do what Jane had recommended? Now she knew why some wives and husbands seemed to be so happy with each other, and she pitied those who did not seem to share such wonderful delights.

The sun was high in the sky when they finally rose. Mary, being very bold, said, "My husband! It is so nice to be able to say that. Did I tell you how much I love you? You are a wonderful, loving husband. You are the best man I have ever known. How is it that I am so lucky to have you as my husband?"

"Mary, my loving wife! When we first spoke of marriage, I thought that you would just be my helpmate. Now I know that a wife is much more than that. I did not expect to find heaven on earth, but I did." They embraced warmly before they went to break their fast, hand in hand. The staff at the manse smiled to see them so obviously happy.

If the residents of Meryton noticed that the Reverend Tower seemed to be taller after his marriage, was seen to walk more upright, preached his sermons with more vigour, was less shy among strangers, and looked more directly at people, they gave credit to Mrs. Tower's influence. They were correct in this assumption, but not precisely in the way that his wife had affected his self-assurance. How was anyone to know how she built up his confidence with her gentle encouragements every night? Certainly, the content of his sermons improved, their wording enhanced, and their delivery made livelier; these were the result of her assistance. It was not long before Tower was confirmed as the new parson of the parish. Mary was rightly very proud of him and her standing in the area was greatly enhanced.

The days after the wedding saw the departures of the various guests from Meryton. Elizabeth had decided to accept her aunt's invitation to go to London with them, so she left Tommy at Netherfield where she knew he would be well looked after. Her own carriage was a welcome extra conveyance as her four cousins were growing, so the extra room was needed with the seven of them, plus their lady's maids.

Mrs. Gardiner had spoken to Mrs. Roper about getting together in town, and she was pleased to receive an invitation to dine with them shortly after they arrived back home. When they went to the Ropers' home, they found that it was a quite nice townhouse in a decent area. This dinner greatly disappointed the Gardiners as Mr. Roper, as they had known, was indeed unmarried but he was at the dinner with a young lady that he introduced as his intended. Elizabeth did not seem to be very unhappy when she heard this.

The Gardiners did take Elizabeth to several public entertainments and they held several dinners where they invited a number of guests. These guests always seemed to include unmarried young men, but none of these interested Elizabeth. She stayed only two weeks in town, then returned to Longbourn. However, she promised to come back at Easter and to bring Tommy with her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 2**

At Darcy House that Easter of 1816, Darcy and Georgiana were still in town as she was greatly enjoying her second season. She found that, in spite of her fears that she would be entering a marriage market where she would be inspected and judged harshly, her brother did not allow any gentleman that he deemed to be unworthy to approach her in any way. Georgiana found that she loved to dance and that Darcy did not restrict her accepting any partners as long as he approved of them first. She rarely had the chance to sit out any sets, unlike her brother who rarely danced with any lady except in exceptional circumstances. In this, his habits had not changed in many years. Darcy noticed that his sister's popularity and frequent interactions with many different new acquaintances had resulted in the loss of her shyness that had previously afflicted her. While he was still very protective of her, he had forced himself to allow her to enjoy the company of many different gentlemen on the dance floor and at other events.

It was a beautiful day, so Darcy asked Georgiana if she would like to ride in Hyde Park in their open carriage. She agreed, so they were soon enjoying their outing. As they entered the park, they saw that others had the same idea and they continually had to acknowledge acquaintances who passed them, either in their own carriages or on horseback. Georgiana especially was enjoying the day just being with her brother as it seemed that they had not spent much time together recently because of the many social events to which she had been invited with her Fitzwilliam relatives. She hoped that this outing would be the beginning of a closer relationship between them. He was still not the same as he had been before her Ramsgate misadventure, but that was nearly five years ago, so she wondered if there had been some other event that still troubled him. She knew that when the season in London came to an end, they would be heading back up to Pemberley where she would much rather be in the summer; London was too hot and smelly for her then. However, even at Pemberley, he seemed to be so busy with estate matters that they seemed to spend little time together in carefree outings such as this one.

They were slowly riding along one of the carriageways that edged the lawns when Darcy suddenly told the coachman to pull over and stop. When they had pulled over to the side of the road, Darcy just sat there with a look of shock on his face that she had never seen before. Georgiana could not understand what was happening, so she followed his gaze and saw a young lady with a group of young people who were accompanied by several other people who appeared to be the staff members. She saw that the young lady was holding a toddler who was tightly holding on to her while she soothed him. The lady's back was to them, so she could not see her face. Darcy said, almost to himself, "Is it really her? It must be; I would know her anywhere."

Georgiana looked back to Darcy and asked, "Fitzwilliam, you know those people. Who are they and how do you know them? Who is the lady?"

He did not avert his gaze and looked even more stricken at how the lady was comforting the toddler. While he was usually very reticent about his personal affairs with his sister, he was obviously affected so strongly that he opened up to her. "This is what I have worried about for so long. My worst nightmares were when I dreamt this. Oh, Georgiana, I made such a huge mistake; I was so wrong!" He looked at his sister and she saw that his eyes were full of tears, which was something she had never seen before.

"Who is she and what was the mistake that you made? Is this why you have seemed to be so unhappy for so long? Are you sure this is the same lady? Her back is to us."

"I would know her anywhere. Her name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet; at least it was. It looks as if that is no longer her name. I made a huge mistake at Hunsford and I am sure that she has still not forgiven me."

"Fitzwilliam, how long has it been since you last met her? I would guess that it was four years ago when you and Richard went to visit Aunt Catherine and you came back so distraught."

"Yes, that is the last time I saw her."

"Will you introduce me? I would like to meet her."

"Georgie, I cannot! I cannot face her. She likely still hates me and I could not bear to see that again. We should just drive on."

"No! We cannot leave without finding out for sure. If you will not go to talk to her, I will."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was consoling Tommy who had fallen when he tried to keep up with his much older cousins. Elaine, the oldest girl, said, "Lizzy, do you know that couple in the carriage? They have been staring at us."

Elizabeth turned and looked at the carriage that was stopped on the side of the road. She saw that it was unmistakably Mr. Darcy, who was with a young lady who had her hand on his arm. Her face fell when she saw them in such a tender scene. "I used to know the gentleman. His name is Mr. Darcy, but I have not seen him for many years."

Elaine said, "Why do you look so sad? Was he your beau?"

Elizabeth did not answer as she saw the young lady get down from the carriage and walk towards them. She came up to Elizabeth, curtsied very politely, and said, "Miss Bennet? Miss Elizabeth Bennet? Please forgive me for being so forward, but I had to introduce myself to you. I am Miss Georgiana Darcy, Fitzwilliam's sister."

Elizabeth's face changed when she heard this. "His sister? Really? I thought that you would be someone else." Elizabeth looked again at Mr. Darcy, who was still staring at her. "Yes, I am Miss Elizabeth Bennet." Both Georgiana and Elaine saw the relieved look on Elizabeth's face. She even closed her eyes for a moment and breathed a huge sigh.

"Forgive me for asking, but are you still Miss Bennet? When Fitzwilliam saw you with this youngster, he thought otherwise."

"Yes, I am Miss Bennet since my older sister is married. I have never married. This sturdy young fellow is my brother."

Georgiana looked at the four other children who were now surrounding them. "Will you introduce me to your companions?"

"These are my Gardiner cousins who live here in town." She pointed them out in turn, "Miss Elaine Gardiner, Master James Gardiner, Master Henry Gardiner, and Miss Susan Gardiner. Cousins, this is Miss Georgiana Darcy." As she named each, they made their best curtsies or bows. Georgiana made a curtsy to each in turn and smiled at them.

"An what is this young fellow's name?"

"My brother, Master Thomas Bennet, who we call Tommy. He is actually going to be the Master of Longbourn, our estate in Hertfordshire. I have been taking care of him ever since his birth."

"Fitzwilliam will be so relieved to hear that this is your brother. I could see from how upset he was when he saw you holding him that he thought that he must be your son. Miss Bennet, I do not know what happened between you two, but I hope that you will forgive him for whatever he did. He would not tell me what happened; he just said that he made a huge mistake at Hunsford. He really is a good man; the best gentleman I know. He was too distraught to come to you, but will you please come with me to say hello to him? Please bring Tommy as he will want to know who he is."

Elizabeth was not sure if she wanted to talk to him as she was still embarrassed about the harsh words she had said to him when they had parted in Hunsford. However, her curiosity got the better of her and she agreed to go to the carriage. She continued to carry Tommy and her cousins followed her.

When Darcy saw that his sister was bringing Miss Elizabeth to him, he jumped down and waited. He bowed very politely to her and said only, "Miss Elizabeth." Then he blushed in case he had called her by her former name. He had almost just said 'Elizabeth,' as this is how he had long thought of her in his dreams.

Elizabeth curtsied and courteously returned his greeting. Miss Darcy saw that they needed help, so she turned to her and said, "Miss Bennet, will you introduce your companions to my brother?"

Elizabeth named each of her cousins and they greeted Darcy very respectfully. The last one she introduced with a twinkle in her eye. "This handsome young fellow is my brother, Master Thomas Bennet, who will be the Master of Longbourn. Tommy, say 'hello' to the gentleman." Tommy was too shy to say anything, so he just hid his face on his sister's shoulder.

"Your brother! I had thought…" Darcy turned pale, then red. He could not finish his thoughts out loud.

"Yes, my brother. He was born in May, 1813, so you would not have known anything about him. The last time I saw you was in 1812."

"Yes, April 10, 1812. Four years ago." Both his sister and Elizabeth noted that he knew the exact date when he had last seen her.

"Mr. Darcy, I have long wanted to apologize for the words I said to you then. You were right and I was wrong about many things."

"No, Miss Elizabeth, I was wrong, so wrong, in what I said. I owe you the apology."

They were both became quiet, so Georgiana saw that once again she needed to help them along. "Please do not argue about who owes the greater apology. You two obviously have a lot to talk about, but this is not the place. Miss Bennet, may we call on you? Do you still live on your estate? How long are you in town?"

Elizabeth was surprised at her questions until she thought how Miss Darcy had initiated the contact with her just a few moments ago. "We will be returning to Hertfordshire in just a couple of days. We are staying at my Aunt and Uncle Gardiners. I would be pleased to have you call. We will be at home in the morning. Now, I should get back to what I am supposed to be doing, which is to make sure that my cousins and Tommy run off some of their energy." She gave the directions to the Gardiners' house, then curtsied to them. Each of her cousins made their own polite good-byes, which were returned by both Darcys.

As Elizabeth led her brood away, she put Tommy down do he could run. "Tommy, you are getting so heavy. Soon I will not be able to pick you up, much less carry you."

Elaine said, "Cousin Lizzy, Mr. Darcy is very handsome. Are you in love with him? Was he your beau?"

"Elaine! Those are not polite questions to ask. I have not seen him in four years. I will only say that we knew each other fairly well, but that was long ago."

Then James, the oldest Gardiner boy, who was just beginning to appreciate girls, said, "Miss Darcy is beautiful! I hope that one day I will find someone as pretty as she is to marry me."

"Elaine! James! What has gotten into you? Just because we meet an attractive couple in the park, you have to go on about them? They are just acquaintances."

When they arrived back home, Elaine said, "Mama, cousin Lizzy met a very handsome gentleman in the park that she says she used to know. I think he is sweet on her. James thought that his sister was 'beautiful' as he said this several times."

James piped up, "I only said it once; and she was beautiful!"

Mrs. Gardiner looked at Elaine, then James, but mostly at Elizabeth, who turned pink at her upraised, questioning eyebrows. "Well, Lizzy, it sounds as if your walk in the park was quite interesting."

"Mr. Darcy is someone I met years ago. I have not seen him for four years. However, his sister asked if they might call on us in the morning. I hope you had nothing planned for then?"

Her aunt looked at her carefully, noticing her slight blush. She wondered just what might have happened between them as it was obvious that theirs was not just a passing acquaintance. She also recognized the name 'Darcy,' as that was the name of the family that owned Pemberley, the magnificent estate near the village of Lambton in Derbyshire where she had been raised.


	14. Chapter 14

In the morning, as early as it was polite to call, the Darcys were at the door of the Gardiners' residence. Darcy had worried about venturing into Cheapside, but he found that Gracechurch Street was quite respectable and the house was large and obviously well-maintained. They were admitted by a butler who took their cards, led them to an elegant, but not overly large, sitting room, and announced them. Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth rose when they were announced and Elizabeth made the introductions.

Mrs. Gardiner said, "Mr. Darcy, I was raised in Derbyshire, in the village of Lambton. The great estate of Pemberley was near and it was owned by the Darcy family. Are you related to this family?"

Darcy smiled and said, "As a matter of fact, that is my estate. My father died years ago and I inherited it along with the guardianship of my sister. Are you very familiar with Pemberley?"

"This is amazing to have this chance to meet you. I was only on parts of the estate as a child but never was in the house. However, four years ago, we toured the North Country with Elizabeth. We even toured the Pemberley manor house with your housekeeper, then the gardens. I know why it is considered to be one of the grandest estates in Derbyshire. Before we went to the estate, we made sure that you were not in residence that day as we did not want to disturb you if you were home.

"I remember that the Darcy family was held in very high regard in the area. That must have been your parents when I was still living there. I remember seeing your father and your mother in Lambton, but I have not lived there for many years now. I still have very fond memories of the village where I spent many happy years. When we were last there, I had a chance to reconnect with a number of my old friends and some of the friends of my parents."

When Mrs. Gardiner mentioned that they had toured Pemberley, Darcy asked, "Miss Bennet, did you approve of the house and gardens?"

"I certainly did; the house is magnificent. My congratulations on your interior design and furnishings. We toured a number of other grand houses on our trip, but Pemberley stands out in my memory as being one of the nicest. The gardens were wonderful! So many flowers in bloom and such a fine layout. I could have spent hours admiring everything. I was tempted to walk in the woods, but we did not have enough time."

Darcy said, "I cannot take credit for either the furnishings or the gardens as I have changed very little from what our mother did. She refurnished the house and improved the gardens. The credit for most of that goes to her and the gardeners for their careful maintenance."

Georgiana interjected, "Fitzwilliam! You have been a good steward of the estate. I know that you will not tolerate any part of the estate to become shabby or rundown in any way. Even our tenants' cottages are fixed immediately if anything goes wrong. I know how much pride you take in Pemberley. I love being there."

Elizabeth sat back and watched the pleasant exchange while the other three talked about Lambton and Derbyshire. She could tell that both Darcys were impressed by her aunt, who proved herself to be very polite and knowledgeable. While they were still reminiscing, she ordered tea and biscuits. When this came, brought in by a maid whose manners impressed the Darcys, the conversation changed to more general topics so Elizabeth could be included. This included entertainments that were available in town and which ones Elizabeth had attended. The Darcys quickly realized that their social circle was quite different from the Gardiners', so they spoke less about the balls they had attended and emphasized the more public events that were in town just now.

The Darcys stayed longer than polite visits would generally last, but no one seemed to object. Before they left, Miss Darcy asked, "Miss Bennet, you had said that you were returning to Hertfordshire soon. Will you have time to dine with us before you go? I would love to have you all at our house for dinner." Darcy was surprised at his sister taking the initiative to make this invitation, but he only smiled at her obvious machinations as he also wanted to be able to renew his acquaintance with Miss Bennet. She was much different towards him than she had been four years ago.

Elizabeth looked at her aunt and saw that she nodded ever so slightly. "I will be leaving in just two days' time, so we really have only tomorrow. Aunt, I do not believe that we any engagements then, do we?" Mrs. Gardiners said that they did not have anything planned.

Miss Darcy said, "That will work for us as we also do not have anything important planned for tomorrow evening. I was going to visit some friends, but I can beg off from that and just see them another time. May we count on your company then? I would like to meet your uncle.

"Before we go, where are the children? I would like to say hello to them, especially little Tommy. He is so cute!"

Mrs. Gardiner said, "My four are at their lessons and Tommy is just playing, but they can take a short break." She summoned a maid and told her to bring all of the children down to greet their guests.

Darcy surprised them by greeting each of them in turn by their correct names, accompanied by a polite bow, which was properly returned by each child.

Georgiana said, "Miss Elizabeth, may I hold Tommy?"

Elizabeth picked up Tommy and passed her to Miss Darcy. "I warn you that he is getting heavy. He can be quite shy with strangers. Tommy, say hello to the lady." He would not speak, but he did not fuss when Georgiana held him.

"Master Tommy, you are getting so big! You are going to be handsome fellow when you grow up with all that dark hair. It is much darker than your sister's."

"We six siblings have a range of colours, from my oldest sister, who is blonde, through all shades of brown, to Tommy's almost black."

Georgiana set Tommy down and he ran to Lizzy, hiding behind her skirts, but peeking out at their visitors, who both smiled at him. When Darcy looked at Tommy, he thought that he reminded him of someone, but he could not remember who it was.

Darcy gave them the directions to Darcy House and they left. "Fitzwilliam, I was very impressed by both Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet. Their manners are beyond reproach and they are both obviously intelligent and well-spoken. I am sure that we will find Mr. Gardiner to be the same, even though he is in trade. Do you happen to know of him?"

"I believe that I have heard of him as his name seems familiar through some of the business dealings that I have had in the past. I am looking forward to meeting him as well. Do you intend to invite anyone else for dinner tomorrow?"  
"No, as I believe that a small party will be more conducive to your being able to talk to Miss Bennet. From what I have seen, she does not appear to react unfavourably to being with you. Fitzwilliam, you smiled more this morning than I have seen in a very long time. What can I do to help you win her affections? I like her. If it means anything, I would not mind having her as my sister." She smiled at her brother.

"Georgiana! Since when did you become a matchmaker? I will certainly admit that without your help, I may not have met her again. I just did not have the courage to go to speak to her in the park. I certainly admit that I am looking forward to seeing more of her. However, she will be going home so soon that there will not be much time for us to be together. Georgie, I made such a mess of the time when we were in Kent that I do not want to make the same mistakes again. I need time to court her properly if I am to have any hope with her. She is the most impressive lady that I have ever met."

"Why not just follow her to Hertfordshire? Fitzwilliam, you obviously admire her and this is the very first lady in which I have ever seen you show any interest. You cannot let this opportunity pass. Will you tell me what happened in Kent? You cannot repeat the same mistakes that you must have made then."

"I could not go to Hertfordshire without her approval; that might upset her if she thought that I was stalking her and she did not have any serious interest in me. I first met her when Bingley rented an estate in Hertfordshire as her father's estate was adjacent to his. I admired her but thought that her station in life was too far below ours so I could not become attached to her. Then I met her again in Kent and knew that my attraction to her had not lessened. One of my mistakes was not to show her my regard until I actually proposed to her, which took her by complete surprise. I also made the worst proposal ever and she rightly rejected me, with bitter words as she thought that I had always disdained her and kept looking at her only to find fault. I gave her a letter trying to explain my position, but have not seen her since. Even though I have tried to forget her, I knew that I had not when we saw her in the park. After so many years looking for a wife, I believe that she and I would do very well together."

Georgiana listened carefully to his words and decided that there was hope for them. "I should not be the one giving you courting advice, but might I suggest that you find a chance to talk to her before she leaves? So, tomorrow, just ask her if you might court her properly. I will try to separate the Gardiners from her so you can tell her that you still admire her and would like a second chance. If you talk respectfully to her, I am sure that she will agree. She is what, about 24? Her age alone should make her more inclined to give you a second chance. If she was unhappy with you when you last met, I believe that her feelings are much different now as I did not detect any sign of annoyance in the way she responds to you.

"Fitzwilliam, I hope you realize that with her attractiveness and lively personality, she will likely have met a number of eligible men that she has apparently refused to encourage. She may even have received offers, so she is looking for someone special. She might even regret what happened in Kent as much as you do. Give her a chance.

"As she is leaving so soon, you will just have to go to Hertfordshire. I do not have any important engagements in the next couple weeks until the Matlocks' ball, so I could go with you for propriety's sake. I would not mind seeing that part of the country. Do you know of anyone where we could stay there?"

"No. As I said, Bingley was renting an estate next to the Bennet estate of Longbourn, but I have not heard from him in the four years since I returned from Kent and saw him in town. I encouraged him to return to Netherfield to reconnect with Miss Elizabeth's older sister, Jane."

Georgiana thought for a moment, then said, "When I first spoke to Miss Elizabeth in the park, I asked her if she was Miss Bennet, and she said that she was as her older sister had married. Do you think she might have married Mr. Bingley? I always liked him as he was so cheerful."

"He very well might have married her. I wonder where they are living if they did marry? I will ask Miss Elizabeth when I get a chance."

When they arrived back at Darcy House, Georgiana went to confer with the cook about the dinner and Darcy went into his office where he intended to look through the stack of correspondence that awaited him on his desk. Instead, he sat there thinking of a certain lady's fine eyes and chestnut-coloured curls. He did not get any work done that day.


	15. Chapter 15

The next day, the Gardiners arrived at Darcy House with Elizabeth, who introduced her uncle to the Darcys. They went into the largest sitting room, and Darcy began to talk to Mr. Gardiner about his business and business conditions in general. The three ladies sat together and Georgiana asked about the Gardiner children and their studies. Mrs. Gardiner also asked more questions about Lambton and the people she had met there four years ago. Neither the gentlemen nor the ladies had any trouble conversing about topics they found interesting.

When dinner was announced, Darcy escorted Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth while Mr. Gardiner offered his arm to Georgiana. The conversation at dinner ranged widely and everyone participated. One question that Darcy asked had been bothering him. "Miss Bennet, please tell me about your family as I have not heard anything about them for the past four years since we met in Kent."

"There is a lot to tell. First of all, Mr. Bingley returned to reopen Netherfield shortly after I returned from Kent. I believe that this was your doing, Mr. Darcy?" Darcy said that it was. "It did not take long for him and Jane to become engaged and they married that summer. They are still living at Netherfield as Mr. Bingley bought the estate. He has become quite good at managing it and the estate is doing very well under his care. They have a daughter and a son and are very happy.

"My youngest sister, Lydia went to Brighton as the guest of the militia colonel's wife. When my parents went there to bring her home, my father was killed in some sort of altercation with one of the officers. It is interesting that the officer who was assigned to escort my mother and Lydia back to Longbourn ended up marrying Lydia the next year. They live on his estate in Essex and have a daughter. They are also doing well.

"My mother found that she was increasing after my father died and she finally produced a son, Tommy, in May, 1813. The next year, mother married a gentleman from Reading, the brother of Mrs. Long, who lives in Meryton. Sir Albert Elford is a knight, so my mother is very pleased to be called Lady Elford. They live in Reading and do not come to Hertfordshire very often." Both Darcy and Georgiana realized that this meant that Tommy's mother was not raising him; thus explaining why Miss Elizabeth was looking after him.

"Last year, both my sisters Catherine and Mary married, Catherine to someone that Uncle Gardiner knew in town and Mary married the curate who had come to Meryton."

Darcy asked, "Does that mean that you are the only sister not married?"

"Yes, even though my relatives have tirelessly tried to find a husband for me. However, I have been kept busy looking after Longbourn and Tommy." She did not mention that she had found every one of those presented to her as wanting in some way.

"Are you managing Longbourn on your own?"

"Actually, my two uncles are the trustees of the estate and guardians of Tommy, but I am the person on the spot to look after any problems that arise. Jane and my Uncle Philips live so close that always have someone I can rely on if I need their help."

Mr. Gardiner said, "Now, Lizzy, you know that we rarely interfere with any decisions that you have made about either the estate or the raising of Tommy.

"Mr. Darcy, she has done a marvelous job with Longbourn. It is returning much more than it was under her father's stewardship."

"Is your brother's care left completely up to you? What about your mother?"

"She is so happy with her new husband that I believe that she did not want to disturb their life together with an infant. I cannot complain as I love having Tommy. He has been a very good baby, and now he is growing so fast; it seems as if I see changes in him almost every day."

Georgiana said, "Miss Bennet, it seems as if so much was thrown on you so quickly. It reminds me of when our father died and my brother had to take responsibility for managing Pemberley and me all at once. Of course, I was older than Tommy, so I was likely more trouble than he has been."

Everyone considered their two situations and realized that they were very similar with both having responsibilities thrust upon them at early ages. Darcy looked at Elizabeth with a lot of respect. He nodded and smiled at her when he saw that she was watching him.

Elizabeth asked, "What about your family, Mr. Darcy? Has much changed in the past four years?"

"Yes, there have been some developments. Our Aunt Catherine, whom you met at Rosings in Kent, died two years ago quite suddenly. Our cousin Anne was left alone to look after the estate that she inherited. As she had never been involved in managing Rosings, I had to go there quite often to help her, but I found a good steward who looked after the tenants and home farm for her. Then Anne died last year after catching a cold that went into her chest. She left Rosings to our cousin Richard Fitzwilliam, whom you met in Kent. I believe that she had always liked him even though her mother desperately wanted me to marry her to join the two estates. When the war ended, Richard had been promoted to general and was made a baronet for his service, but he has been learning how to manage the estate since he was released from the army. I have been helping him whenever he asked for my advice. He still has not married, but now he does not have to be so choosy as his finances are not a consideration as he has Rosings. We have seen him at a number of events this season, so I suspect it will not take him long to find a wife as he is still the same personable fellow that he was and is very popular with the ladies.

"Closer to home, Georgiana came out last season and proved to be very popular with the gentlemen." He looked at this sister and saw her blush. "However, she did not find any one of them who meet her standards, so she has been enjoying her second season just as much as the first. I know that she could have her pick of any gentleman she meets, so I think it is just a matter of time."

Georgiana felt that she had to say something. "Fitzwilliam, you know very well that any gentleman that I might choose must pass your inspection first and you have been very particular about every man who approaches me. It might not be as easy as you say to find someone suitable. In any case, I am not in a hurry as I am enjoying myself." The Gardiners and Elizabeth had to smile at her words.

The conversation for the rest of the dinner was about more general topics. At the end of dinner, Georgiana rose and said, "Fitzwilliam, we ladies will leave you to your port, but please do not stay too long." She then led the ladies into the sitting room where there was a very fine piano.

"Miss Darcy," Elizabeth said, "I remember that Miss Bingley had praised your playing. Will you play for us?"

"I will as long as you will follow me. Fitzwilliam has said that he greatly enjoyed your playing and singing.

"Would you please call me Georgiana or Georgie? I want to be friends with you."

"I will as long as you call me Elizabeth or just Lizzy. That is what my family calls me."

Georgiana sat at the piano and found the music that she had been practicing recently. "I have not played as much as I used to as I seem to be much busier now with so many entertainments that I have been attending." In spite of her protestations, her playing was excellent. She played two pieces, then told Elizabeth that it was her turn.

While Elizabeth was playing, Darcy and Mr. Gardiner entered the room and Mr. Gardiner sat next to his wife. Georgiana immediately went to them and quietly said, "Mrs. Gardiner, please tell me more about Lambton. I much prefer living in the country compared to the city, but what was it like when you were there?"

Darcy saw that his sister was trying to give him time to talk to Elizabeth, so he went near the piano. Elizabeth looked up from her playing, "I know what you are about, Mr. Darcy," she said with a smile. "You mean to intimidate me as you did when you were in Meryton."

"No, indeed; I only came to admire you. You play just as well, or even better, than you did then. Will you sing for me? I remember what a lovely voice you have."

She blushed when he said that, but began to play a love song that she knew well. When the others in the room heard her begin to sing, they stopped talking and saw how rapt Darcy was. The three of them looked at each other and smiled. From their shared smiles, they all knew that they had identical hopes for Darcy and Elizabeth.

At the end of the song, Darcy said, "Miss Elizabeth, that was wonderful! I love to hear you play and sing. Will you come to sit by me? We need to talk." He led her to a sofa that was at some distance from the others in the room. "Miss Elizabeth, I am so glad that we happened on you in the park as I have to tell you that I have been looking for you everywhere I went for the last four years. I had begun to despair of ever seeing you again. I wanted to know if you read my letter that I gave you in Hunsford?"

"Yes, I did, dozens of times. I have long wanted to apologize for the very rude words that I used to reject your offer. You did not deserve my bitterness. I am truly sorry for what I said and how wrong I was to believe anything that Mr. Wickham had said. I did not want to mention this while your sister was listening, but it was he who killed my father in Brighton by pushing him down a flight of stairs at the rooming house where my parents were staying. He was arrested and quickly hanged for his crime by the army."

"What were they fighting about? And how did Wickham end up in the house where they were staying?"

"I am not sure what it was about, although I have my suspicions. It happened late at night after an officers' ball. My father returned home early as he was not feeling well, and Mr. Wickham escorted my mother back to the house. I understand that she had had a lot to drink, but I have not heard what happened when they got there. I know that my parents had separate rooms and the altercation happened at the top of the stairs that were just outside my mother's room.

"Mr. Darcy, you trusted me with the Ramsgate story, so I will trust you with my concerns. Tommy was born exactly nine months later and you noticed that his hair is much darker than any of ours. I cannot state my suspicions out loud, but I know that you will understand what I have been thinking. Whatever happened that night, Tommy is now the heir of Longbourn and it will be his absolutely when he reaches his majority."  
When she said this, Darcy realized that Tommy reminded him of Wickham when he was younger. "Miss Elizabeth, I am so sorry about Wickham. It is my fault as I should have warned the people of Meryton how evil he was. If I had done that, he would not have done as much damage as he did. I cannot say that I am surprised how he met his end as it was well-deserved. He had many crimes to pay for."

Darcy took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. "If I might return to my earlier statement about meeting you at long last, I had thought that after four years, my feelings for you would have faded out entirely, but at least an ember must have remained lit in my heart. When I saw you with Tommy, I immediately thought that he was your son and that you were lost to me forever. When I learned that he was your brother, my heart came alive again. If your feelings about me are still as they were in Hunsford, I will say nothing more to you ever again about my hopes and dreams. However, I still esteem you as the most wonderful lady I have ever met. If you have changed your opinion about me, I only ask that you might give me another chance to win your affections. This time I do not want to make the same mistakes that I did before, so I humbly ask if you will accept a proper courtship with me? I do not care how long it might last; I only ask that you take as long as you need to decide one way or another."

While she had thought in the back of her mind that he still had some regard for her, his statement surprised her at its coming so quickly after they had just met again after four long years. Then she realized that she would be leaving London in the morning and that he must have decided that this might be his only chance to ask her this important question. She thought that she should not take too long before giving him an answer. "Mr. Darcy, I am not the same person that I was four years ago and I suspect the same about you. So much has changed for me that you may not like what I am now. However, I know now, and have known for a long time, that you are a very good person, so good that I cannot believe that I am good enough for you. However, I am willing to find out if we might be compatible, so yes, I will enter into a formal courtship with you, very happily.

"I am not sure how we will do this as I am leaving town tomorrow and have no definite plans on when I might return. I have so many responsibilities with Tommy and Longbourn that I do not like to be away from home too much."

"What if I go to Hertfordshire with you? Miss Elizabeth, I am very serious about this and will do anything needed to help us decide."

"If you go there, I will welcome you most heartily. However, you know that I cannot ask you to stay at Longbourn. Just your following me there will raise many suspicions among the gossips."

"Would it help if Georgiana came as well? She is not committed to anything important for the next two weeks until the Matlocks' ball. We cannot miss that as it is one of the highlights of the season and they are our closest relatives. She told me that she would like to see Hertfordshire."

Darcy looked up to see that the others were watching them. "For now, I think that we should tell everyone what we have decided. From the way they are all watching us, they obviously want to know what we are talking about."

Elizabeth agreed, so they rose and went to where the others were. Of course, they had all noticed that Elizabeth and Darcy were having a serious discussion and had left them alone by an unspoken agreement. Darcy said, "I have an announcement to make. I asked Miss Bennet if I might court her and she agreed. As she is leaving for Longbourn tomorrow, I asked if I might go as well so that I can court her properly." They received very warm congratulations from all three when they heard these words.

"Georgie, you talked about seeing Hertfordshire. Would you like to go there? You said that we have no important engagements in town until the Matlock ball, so that will give us the next two weeks to be there. I will be staying at the inn in Meryton, but I am not if it is suitable for a lady."

Elizabeth exclaimed, "That will certainly not be necessary. Georgiana is very welcome to stay with me at Longbourn. There is plenty of room as only Tommy and I are there now. We can easily house your maid as well."

Georgiana said, "Thank you Lizzy. I will gladly accept your hospitality.

"Fitzwilliam, I know that we both have to attend the Matlocks' ball, but perhaps we can persuade Lizzy to return here with us to attend as well. I believe that we should introduce her to our relatives. We can easily ask for an invitation for her as I am sure our aunt will oblige us."

"But I do not have a ball gown that would be suitable for such a prestigious event! I do not want you to be embarrassed by me."

Georgiana dismissed her concern, saying, "We have two weeks before the ball, so we can get you a new gown. First thing in the morning, I will come for you and we will go to my modiste. She will easily have it ready for when we return. That will mean not starting for Hertfordshire as early as we might, but it is not a long trip. Lizzy, is that all right with you? And please accept the gown as my gift to you; Fitzwilliam has been very generous with my clothing allowance since I have been out and I have not spent nearly all of it."

Even though Elizabeth protested at such a generous offer, she was secretly delighted to have been asked to attend this ball as she knew that if she did end up as the wife of Mr. Darcy, she would need to become comfortable at such events. They decided on the details of their shopping and departure, then the Gardiners and Elizabeth left for Cheapside. Somehow Darcy was left to see Elizabeth to the door with no others around. "Miss Elizabeth, I am so happy about everything that we decided tonight. I only hope that you are satisfied with it as well." He looked deep into her eyes and kissed her hand. For a moment, she wondered if he had thought about kissing her properly and she realized that she would not have objected if he had.


	16. Chapter 16

In the morning, Georgiana arrived in Gracechurch Street and took Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner to her modiste. She had not been able to give notice that she would be coming, but the modiste knew her well from her many purchases she had made there and welcomed her and her guests.

"Good morning, Miss Darcy! How good it is to see you again. How may I assist you?"

"Good morning, Madame. These are my friends Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet. Miss Bennet will be attending the Matlocks' ball in two weeks and we would like to find a gown suitable for this event. I know that other ladies have come to you for the same reason, so I am confident that you will know what she needs."

"I will be very happy to do this. I see that Miss Bennet is very attractive with such lovely chestnut hair. I have several different materials and colours that would suit her perfectly." She motioned to an assistant and told her which bolts of cloth to bring. The ladies soon settled on the material they thought would look best on Elizabeth and then they began to look at designs. Once they had finally agreed on this, Madame had her assistants measure Elizabeth. Before they left, Georgiana told her to put everything on her account. The modiste promised to have the gown ready in lots of time.

They then returned to the Gardiners' to drop Mrs. Gardiner off and to pick up Tommy, his nurse, and Elizabeth's maid. All of their luggage had already been loaded on the Longbourn carriage. They returned to Darcy House where they found that Darcy's largest traveling carriage was waiting and ready. They had decided that Elizabeth and Tommy would ride in Darcy's carriage with Georgiana as it was newer and had better springs, so the maids, Tommy's nurse, and Darcy's valet entered the Longbourn carriage. Darcy also had decided to bring his riding horse as it would be more convenient to use in Meryton, so he had one of the grooms ride it behind the carriages. They made quite a procession when they left Darcy House for Herfordshire.

Tommy proved to be a good traveler, so they did not need to stop many extra times. Elizabeth was impressed that Mr. Darcy soon had Tommy becoming friendly with him as he pointed out the different animals and sights that they passed. It was not long before Tommy was sitting with Darcy on his side of the carriage. Darcy's attention to Tommy did not hurt Elizabeth's regard for him as she had worried how he might react to her brother now that he was aware of her suspicions about his true parentage.

They arrived at Longbourn in the late afternoon, which was much later than they had anticipated, but Mrs. Hill had everything ready for them. She had not been informed about a guest coming to stay, but the guest room was always ready. Darcy left with his valet, carriage, and horse to go to the inn after promising to come back for dinner. He rode back to Longbourn on his horse as this made less work for his grooms.

Dinner was as good as it had always been when Mrs. Bennet was the Mistress at Longbourn, even though there were just the three of them. After dinner, Darcy asked both ladies to play for him, which they did. Darcy did not stay late, but they decided that Elizabeth would take Tommy and Georgiana to Netherfield in the morning to meet Jane. She asked Darcy to come in the afternoon and stay for dinner. Again, their farewell was warm and Darcy kissed her hand, which was bare this time as he was the one leaving. Elizabeth felt his lips on her hand and she almost turned her face up for a proper kiss, but she only smiled at him.

In the morning, Elizabeth took Georgiana and Tommy to Netherfield. "Elizabeth!" Jane exclaimed, "we missed you and Tommy. How was your trip to town?"

Jane looked at Georgiana and Elizabeth introduced them. "Jane, this is Miss Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy's sister. We happened to meet in a park in town and I invited her to come to stay with me for a couple of weeks. Mr. Darcy is here as well, but is staying at the inn. Georgie, my sister, Mrs. Jane Bingley."

Jane was astonished to hear that Lizzy had somehow reconnected with Mr. Darcy as she knew the full details of their last meeting at Hunsford. "Miss Darcy, I am so pleased to meet you. I hope that you will enjoy your stay here. If I may be so bold, I believe that Charles would like to meet Mr. Darcy. He was not happy with him for some time, but that all happened years ago. You know how forgiving he is. Lizzy, Miss Darcy, we have to figure out how to get them together."

After Tommy had greeted his sister, he ran off to find Anna, his favourite playmate, followed by his nurse who had to hurry to keep up with him.

Georgiana said, "Mrs. Bingley, I am very glad to meet you as well. I have known Mr. Bingley for many years and also hope that he and my brother will forget the past and become friends again. But I hear that you have two delightful children and I would love to see them."

Somehow Georgiana had found the perfect way to earn Jane's affection by complimenting her children. Jane asked a maid to have them brought down, so they had a great time with the children. The baby Donald was not yet a year old, but Tommy and Anna were lots of fun to play with. Elizabeth and Georgiana took turns holding the baby, feeling their maternal instincts grow at his presence.

The ladies decided that the Bingleys would come to Longbourn in the afternoon when Darcy would be there. Bingley returned from visiting his tenants before Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Tommy left, and he made a happy reunion with Georgiana. She complimented him on his family and estate, and he complimented her on how she had grown into such a fine lady.

Darcy arrived at Longbourn when he said he would and, when asked, said that the inn was quite comfortable for a short stay. The day was sunny and warm, so they took Tommy outside so he could run off more energy, of which he seemed to have an unlimited supply. They saw the Netherfield carriage come, and Tommy and Anna were immediately running off into the garden, chased by their nurses. Elizabeth and Georgiana were again soon passing the baby back and forth, both wanting as much time to hold him as they could.

Bingley went right up to Darcy and smiled, "Darcy, it is so good to see you again. I am sorry that we have not seen each other for so long. While I was not happy with you for some time, I now realize that you might have done me a big favour. When I returned to Jane after those months apart, I knew that I still loved her and soon found that she loved me as well. I knew that if our love could endure being apart for so many months, that it would last forever, and it has. So, thank you for teaching me that. You can see that we have made a great family." Bingley smiled at his wife and children.

"But how have you been? How is your family? I can see that Georgiana has become a very attractive young lady who must be the toast of the season. I am sure that she has had many a suitor wherever she has been. Any news about anyone special?" Bingley smiled when Georgiana blushed at his question.

Darcy saw that his former friend was unchanged, perhaps even more outgoing than he had been. Marriage and being a father seemed to have suited him very well indeed. Darcy was so happy to renew their friendship that he impulsively went to give Bingley a very warm handshake. He told him how glad he was to meet him again, then he told him the news of his family.

They had a very enjoyable afternoon and even had tea outside on the lawn. Jane turned down Lizzy's offer to stay for dinner, saying that they had to get the children home, but she invited them all to come to Netherfield on the morrow to dine.

Before they left, Bingley asked, "Darcy, where are you staying, here at Longbourn?"

"No, that would not be proper; I am at the inn in Meryton. It is fairly decent for a short stay."

"That will not do at all!" Bingley looked at Jane, who nodded, knowing what he was about to ask. "Darcy, you must come to stay with us. We have lots of room and it will be much more comfortable. I hope that you will tolerate our lively daughter and the baby's noise. The house is not nearly as quiet as it was four years ago."

Darcy was pleased to receive this invitation, which he readily accepted. A Longbourn groom was sent to the inn to instruct Darcy's valet to pack his belongings to take to Netherfield and to have Darcy's carriage and horses moved to Bingley's stable. Darcy was especially pleased when he thought that his valuable horses would receive much better care than they would at the public livery stable.

Before they left, Bingley said, "The monthly Assembly in Meryton is in just two days. We should all go there, just as we used to go all those years ago. Miss Darcy, I know that our Assembly will be nothing compared to balls in town, but you might enjoy yourself. I have a feeling that Darcy will not stand around glaring at everyone as he did the first time I dragged him to one. Now he has three ladies to dance with, and we might even be able to convince him to dance with other local ladies as well."

They all had a laugh at this, even Darcy smiled. "Bingley, I know that I will never be able to compete with you about how many dances I might have, but I will try as long as Miss Elizabeth grants me the first and supper sets and Mrs. Bingley the second. Georgie, I will reserve the third set for you. I am confident that you will not lack for partners."

Bingley said, "Then I must ask my lovely wife for the first and supper sets as well. Miss Darcy, if you will grant me the second set, I will dance the third with Lizzy. I know all of the eligible young men here, so I will introduce you to everyone who would like to meet you. I agree with Darcy that you will likely not be able to sit down even once."

Georgiana blushed and said, "Thank you both. If we are all going to be friends, please call me Georgiana or just Georgie. 'Miss Darcy' sounds so formal."

Both Jane and Mr. Bingley agreed as long as she would call them by their first names as well, acknowledging that they clearly intended to be good friends with Darcy's sister, and perhaps even more.

The ladies were all very pleased that the two gentlemen had rekindled their friendship so quickly and so easily, thanks mainly to Mr. Bingley's easygoing personality. As promised, they went to Netherfield the next morning.

When they arrived, Bingley said, "If you ladies do not mind, I would like to show Darcy what I have done on the estate. I hope that he will give me some suggestions to make it even better. Darcy, I will have our horses saddled."

The ladies did not mind the absence of the gentlemen as the children gave them plenty to talk about. Georgiana was given a tour of the house and was asked for suggestions for improving its appearance and furnishings. She was reluctant to say much, so she mainly complimented Jane on her good taste. They all laughed when Jane described how her mother had insisted that Jane should have much more colourful wallpaper and more ornate furniture. They all agreed that what Jane had done was in very good taste.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day they did not all get together as both Elizabeth and Charles said they had correspondence to take care of. Darcy and Georgiana decided they would go riding, with her borrowing a sidesaddle and gentle horse from Longbourn. Darcy showed her some of the interesting spots near the estates, including the view from the top of Oakham Mount, to which he had been introduced years ago on his walks with Elizabeth. They dismounted to walk to the very top to enjoy the view of the entire countryside.

Georgiana stood beside her brother and exclaimed, "This view is lovely! The country is not as wild as Derbyshire, but I can see that it has its own charms. I can understand why the Bingleys decided to settle here. Do you think that Elizabeth will ever want to leave here? Fitzwilliam, I like her and her sister a lot." She smiled up at him.

"Is there anything I can do to help you win her regard, even though she seems to be quite receptive of your attentions? If I might be so bold as to give you advice, I would suggest that you continue to do just what you have been doing. Just be attentive to her and show her that you hold her in high regard. How can she resist such loving attention?

"As I said before, Lizzy is about 24 and from the way she loves to hold the baby, I believe that she would like to have her own family. Even I can understand the appeal of having children when I hold Donald. He is such a good baby! However, do not worry that I am in a hurry to find a husband. I know that I want someone who will love me and not just my dowry. When I see how the Bingleys regard each other, that is exactly what I want in my own marriage."

Darcy looked thoughtful and replied, "I see several problems if I hope to win her regard and her hand. First of all, I have to convince her that I am not the same person she rejected four years ago so she might come to develop better feelings for me. When I made my proposal to her, I told her how ardently I admired and loved her. I have to let her know that my feelings are still the same even after not seeing her for such a long time.

"Second, her caring for Tommy might be a problem. She may worry that I would not want him to be with us, but I would gladly look after him if that is what she wants. I cannot believe that his own mother has abandoned him for Elizabeth to look after as he is such a good child. When you meet Mrs. Bennet, or now Lady Elford, you will see that she is very different from Elizabeth and Jane. She was not nearly as restrained or as clever as her oldest daughters. I still cannot imagine how she gave her baby into Miss Elizabeth's care.

"Finally, Longbourn has been under her sole management for several years, even if only unofficially. If she leaves here, who will look after the estate? I know that she is doing this as there was no one else who would do it. I am sure that she wants to ensure that Tommy will inherit the estate in good condition. We could hire a steward, but she may not be happy with this arrangement. Fortunately, Bingley is so close that he should be able to help with any problems that arise. After all, Longbourn is his wife's family's estate.

"However, I agree that she seems to be quite willing to be with me, so I am optimistic."

They discussed these problems for some time, and hoped that by the time of the Matlock ball, he would have a better idea if she were willing to talk to him about their future. They rode back, stopping first at Longbourn so Georgiana could dress for the Assembly. Darcy then returned to Netherfield.

That evening, they all met at the entrance to the Assembly hall and went in together. Just as had happened so many years ago, Sir William Lucas met them as he was still acting as the host. He had heard that Darcy was back in town, so he greeted him warmly, as he did with everyone. He was introduced to Miss Darcy and asked if he might introduce her to the principal families who were here. Bingley said, "Thank you very much for your kind offer, but I will do that as I know everyone who will be there. The Darcys are my friends and have been for a long time." Binley knew that Darcy was very protective of his sister, so he wanted to choose the people who would be suitable for her to know and to dance with.

When they first entered the hall, they again noticed that the crowd hushed, taking in the appearance of the newcomers. This was so reminiscent of their very first entry into that same ballroom. However, this time the people knew three of the five people quite well and a number of them went to greet them. Several people recognized Darcy, not all with favourable memories. However, just seeing him with the Bingleys and Miss Elizabeth made them interested in knowing him better as they were so well-liked in the area. Bingley made the introductions and soon Georgiana found that her dance card had begun to fill as the young men easily noticed how attractive and how well-dressed she was. In addition, she was new to them and so was more interesting than the young women they had known all their lives. Of course, the young women were not so pleased to see her here.

The first set began and they lined up in their proper spots. It was obvious to all that Darcy was very interested in Elizabeth from the way he smiled at her. They also noticed the way that she smiled back at him. For those who remembered his previous foray at that earlier Assembly, they certainly observed how different his behaviour was tonight. They saw that he danced the next two sets with Mrs. Bingley, then his sister. When Bingley insisted that Darcy not sit down after the third set, Darcy agreed to go with him to find another lady who needed a dance partner. Darcy exerted himself and actually talked intelligently to the ladies with whom he danced. He remembered Elizabeth's exhortations and mentioned the dance, the size of the room, and the number of couples. He found that these topics were sufficient to engage his partner for the rest of the time they were together. While he was busy dancing, he noticed that Elizabeth also did not have to sit out even one set. With such obvious popularity, he wondered if she had received much attention from eligible men who lived here and, if she did, why did she still remain single?

As both Darcy and Bingley had predicted, Georgiana did not sit down even one dance. From her happy smiles, Darcy could see that she was having a great time. When time for supper came, she brought her latest partner to sit with the Bingleys, her brother, and Elizabeth. They enjoyed chatting and eating until the next set was called. Darcy was even civil to Georgiana's supper mate and tried to engage him in conversation. He found that the young man was quite unsophisticated compared to young gentlemen in town, but pleasant enough. However, he was certainly not appropriate to consider in the slightest to be a suitor for her.

Darcy did sit out a couple of sets after supper but Bingley, Elizabeth, and Georgiana did not have that luxury. He managed to secure Elizabeth for the final set, even though she warned him, "You know that people will make the assumption that we are seriously involved with each other? Will that bother you?"

Darcy said, "Not in the least. I do not mind what they think; in fact, I rather hope that they do make that assumption. It will keep all the local men away from you."

She laughed at this, saying, "Mr. Darcy, I have been here all my life and for some time I have been living alone at Longbourn with just Tommy. Everyone knows me and anyone who was interested in me has given up hope for me. I believe that they might just be happy to see me receiving such warm attention from a handsome gentleman."

Darcy smiled when she called him 'handsome' and he hoped that it indicated that she did not look at him the same way that she had four years ago.

As they were waiting for their carriages, they made plans to get together the next afternoon, knowing that none of them would be very active in the morning after such a busy evening. Darcy first assisted his sister into the Longbourn carriage. He asked her, "Well, Georgie, what did you think of this country Assembly? Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I did, tremendously. The only differences that I noticed compared to balls in London were that the musicians were not quite as good and the gowns not so formal. However, everyone was so friendly! I did not hear even one word of criticism about anyone as I constantly hear in town. Every young man that I danced with seemed to be interested in me as a person rather than my position in society. It was a great time. I would not mind doing this again, and I must thank Charles for thinking that we should attend."

Darcy then was about to hand Elizabeth into the carriage, but he could not help but murmuring to her, "I hope I conducted myself better than I did at that first Assembly?"

Elizabeth smiled at him with a teasing smile and said, "If you had been like this then, the past four years might have been quite different." Her words eased his heart and made him smile at her. He kissed her gloved hand, then handed her in.

After that Assembly, they all noticed that they began to receive invitations from the leading families in the area for dinners and other parties, so their social life became much busier. It seemed that many neighbours were interested in meeting Darcy and trying to decide just what his relationship was to Elizabeth. Those with unmarried sons were especially interested in getting to know Miss Darcy better as word of her substantial dowry somehow had begun to circulate. With all these invitations, Elizabeth found that she, Darcy, and Georgiana had few quiet dinners together.

Several days before they left for London, they had an evening with no invitations, so Elizabeth invited them all to Longbourn for dinner. They again enjoyed being together and Georgiana and Elizabeth entertained everyone on the piano after. When the Bingleys were leaving, they carefully went to their carriage first, leaving Elizabeth to escort Darcy to the door. Just before he went out, he turned to her and smiled, "Miss Elizabeth, I have missed these quiet family dinners together. I especially missed being in your company without so many other people around. I could listen to your conversation, your playing, and your singing forever." Previously, he had taken her hand to kiss it good-bye. However, tonight he said, "May I hold you just for a moment before I go?"

Rather than answering aloud, Elizabeth nodded. He put his arms around her and pressed her to his chest. "Elizabeth, this feels so right." He kissed her hair, then stepped back. "Thank you, and good-night." He then went out to the carriage.

When Elizabeth went back into the sitting room where Georgiana was waiting, she said, "Lizzy, you have a faraway look in your eyes. Did Fitzwilliam kiss you? What did he say?"

Elizabeth coloured and said, "No, he did not kiss me, but he held me close for a moment." Even though they had not known each other for very long, Elizabeth felt as close to her as if she were one of her sisters, so she was quite open with her. "Georgie, just being held felt so good! It felt so natural and right."  
"Oh, Lizzy, I am so happy for you both. Are you falling in love with him? I hope so as I know how deeply he feels for you."  
"I am not sure what it is that I am feeling as I have never been in love. I know that I like to be with your brother and now I know that I like to be held by him. I will have happy dreams tonight." They both giggled at these words.

In the morning, they went to Netherfield and found that Bingley and Darcy were out riding the estate for a last ride. Georgiana became busy playing with Tommy and Anna, leaving Elizabeth with Jane.

"Jane, I have to ask you something very personal. Last night when Mr. Darcy was leaving, he asked if he could hold me for a moment. It felt so good to be pressed against him! I felt something I have never experienced ever before—a warm feeling all over. I did not want to let him go and hoped that he would kiss me, but he did not. Jane, what does that mean? Is it natural? Is that how you feel when you are with Charles? I am so confused."

"Oh, Lizzy, I am so happy for you. What you felt is very natural and that is how I feel when I am with Charles. I just want him to hold me tight and not let go. I believe that this is how wives should feel about their husbands, but not all do. Lizzy, love has at least two important parts: the emotional part where your affection for another person makes you realize that he is the most important person in your life; and the physical, where you want to touch him and want him to touch you. You desire him physically, but this passion is completely normal when you are in love.

"Please do not think that this makes you wanton; it is a wonderful and important part of marriage. When you join with your husband, you will understand just how marvelous it is. I believe that some couples lose this passion after some years, but I can vouch that not all couples do." Jane blushed when she said that.

"Lizzy, now you know that you find Mr. Darcy very attractive and desirable physically. If you like him, admire him, respect him, and esteem him, if you feel that he is one of the most important people in your life, you are either already in love or are about to be. Please do not fight this feeling. Remember what you and Charlotte both said to me when Charles and I had first met? You told me to let him know how I felt about him just in case he was unsure of my feelings. You must do this if you want Mr. Darcy. Do not leave him in doubt. With your history with him, with so many misunderstandings on both your parts, I am sure that he will not know your heart unless you let him know how you feel about him. Lizzy, Mr. Darcy is a very good man; do not let him go. I almost lost Charles and I do not want you to feel what I felt."

Georgiana came in then with the children, so this ended their conversation. Jane had given Elizabeth had a lot to think about.


	18. Chapter 18

The day before their departure for London, Elizabeth took Tommy to Netherfield as Jane had offered to look after him while she was away. They had a last dinner there, but they did not stay late so they would be ready to go quite early as Elizabeth was expected at the modiste's for a final fitting for her new gown in the afternoon.

When Elizabeth had talked to Georgiana about her staying at the Gardiners' house, Georgiana would not hear of it. "Lizzy, it would be much more convenient if your stay with us at Darcy House. The Matlock residence is close by and we could help each other get ready. Do not worry about proprieties as you will be there as _my_ guest. I know that the Gardiners' house is getting crowded as their children now need their own rooms. I would like to take your Aunt to the modiste's for your final fitting so she can see how your gown turned out. We will also likely need to go to a couple of other shops for any other small items that you might need, so her advice will be welcome. She has very good taste." Elizabeth was pleased to hear that her aunt was held in high regard by Georgiana.

With some persuasion, Georgiana managed to convince Elizabeth to stay with them at Darcy House. While she did not voice her main concern about staying there, Elizabeth worried that being so close to Mr. Darcy might lead to problems as she now knew how attracted she was to him. Following Jane's advice, since their discussion she had tried to smile more at him and take his arm whenever possible to show him that her affection for him was growing. She was a bit reluctant to be too bold with him as she remembered how he had grimaced when Miss Bingley had clutched his arm whenever she could.

When they arrived in town, they first went to Darcy House to unload the luggage and to leave Darcy. As soon as they could, they went to Gracechurch Street to pick up Mrs. Gardiner. They all were very pleased at how the new gown looked on Elizabeth and that it did not need any further adjustments. Mrs. Gardiner was so proud at how beautiful her niece looked wearing it that she complimented her several times. After leaving the modiste's shop, they went to several other shops for some small items before dropping Mrs. Gardiner off at her home.

The day of the ball, the ladies took their time dressing, being especially particular about their hair. Darcy had asked Georgiana the colour of Elizabeth's gown and, just before they went up to dress, he gave her an expensive-looking jewelry case that contained a magnificent necklace and bracelet in diamonds and emeralds. "Elizabeth, these were my mother's and I would like you to wear them tonight. When Georgie told me that your dress was emerald green, I knew that these would go very well with them."

"Mr. Darcy! They are much too fine for me. I have never worn anything like these in my life; in fact, I have never seen such beautiful jewels. Just look how they sparkle!"

"Elizabeth, please do this for me. I want you to feel that you are the belle of the ball, and these jewels are perfect for you. You will look even more beautiful with them than I could possibly imagine. I will feel so proud to walk in with you on my arm."

When she finally agreed to wear them, she took them up and showed them to Georgiana. "Lizzy, I remember Father showing them to me once when I was quite young. He said that Mother looked even more beautiful when she wore them. I am so glad that Fitzwilliam gave them to you as they are perfect with your gown. He said that Mother had intended them for his wife and I know that there is a lot more jewelry that she owned. Wait until you see it all! Many are priceless heirlooms that have been passed down through several generations. I am not sure how old these ones are, but they are some of the finest pieces. Do not worry about my wanting them as Father put aside many fine pieces that are now mine. Fitzwilliam gave them to me when I came out. I will show them to you when we get a chance."

"Georgie, he did not _give_ them to me; he only asked me to wear them tonight."

"Lizzy, I hope that soon they will be yours outright." Both ladies smiled when she said that. Elizabeth hoped that Georgiana's prediction would come through.

They finished dressing and went down the stairs together to where Darcy was waiting. The look on his face told them that their efforts were not in vain. "You two are absolutely beautiful! When I walk in with you on my arms, every man in the room will be envious and every woman will be jealous of you. Miss Elizabeth, I know that I will have to secure the first dance with you, and the supper set. Otherwise, I may be too late. Georgie, please reserve the second set for me."

When they arrived at Matlock House, they removed their outerwear and Darcy led them, one on each arm, to where his uncle and aunt, the Earl and Countess of Matlock, were waiting in the reception line. Also in the line were General Sir Richard Fitzwilliam, his older brother Viscount Stewart Fitzwilliam, his wife the Viscountess Helen Fitzwilliam, and his sister Lady Amanda Fitzwilliam. They all greeted Darcy and Georgiana warmly and Darcy introduced Elizabeth. They had obviously all been eager to meet this lady as Georgiana had mentioned her in her letters to them. They had all long hoped that Darcy would find a wife, and this lady was the first one for whom he had shown any special regard. From her attractiveness, she would fit in with their family very well.

Richard was the only one who had met her previously. "Miss Bennet! How wonderful to see you again!" To his family he explained, "I met Miss Bennet at Rosings four years ago and have never forgotten her. I know that you will come to admire her as much as I do. Darcy, I am so pleased that you brought her tonight. Miss Bennet, did Darcy mention that I now am now the Master of Rosings? Being Master of an estate is quite a change from the army. May I request that you reserve a set for me before you are completely booked? If Darcy has already requested the first set, may I have the second? You look absolutely beautiful tonight! Georgie, you are beautiful as well, as always. If your first set is available, may I have it? It is so good to see you again!"

Richard's family was astonished at this confused speech as he never appeared to be as flustered as he was now, not even when meeting a very attractive lady. It was obvious to them all that Richard had admired Miss Bennet and had not forgotten her. They could see that if Darcy did not secure her hand soon, he would have competition from his cousin. From what they had heard of the lady and from her appearance, none of them would oppose Richard if this happened.

Darcy and Georgiana both saw Richard's interest and neither was pleased. As soon as he could get away from Richard, Darcy led the ladies into the ballroom, where his predictions came true. Their entrance made the room grow quiet as no one there, especially the many guests who knew Darcy, had ever before seen him escort a lady who was not related to him. To see Darcy with two beautiful women on his arms was something that they had never expected. That the unknown lady was beautiful was obvious, but his smiles at her told them all they needed to know about their relationship. Very quickly, whispers were circulating about who she was. As no one there knew anything about this lady, rumours ranged widely. They certainly noticed her fine gown and magnificent jewelry, so their assumptions were that she must be very rich, rich enough to become Mrs. Darcy.

The three of them were quickly surrounded by people who knew Darcy and Georgiana and wanted introductions to his guest. Both ladies' dance cards were soon filled. Darcy whispered to Elizabeth, "I hope you put my name down first? If it is still available, please also save the last dance for me. I do not care what people think about my dancing three sets with you, I just want to be with you." She nodded her agreement with his request. Elizabeth had certainly noticed the excitement that her appearance had created, and this made her stand taller and smile more, especially at him.

The music started to signal the beginning of the first set. At the top of the line were the Earl and Countess; next were the Viscount and Viscountess; then Sir Richard and Georgiana; then Lady Amanda and her partner; then Darcy and Elizabeth. The other dancers lined up below them with the highest in ranking being nearest to their hosts. By now, many guests had heard that Miss Bennet was from an estate in Hertfordshire and that she had known Darcy for a number of years. No one had had any idea that Darcy was seeing someone special as he had been attending many entertainments by himself each season for years but had shown no special regard for any lady before today. As none of the guests recognized the fine jewelry that Elizabeth was wearing, they assumed that she must be very wealthy. What confused them most was that no one had ever heard of her before.

The ball was a great success for both Elizabeth and Georgiana and neither sat out even one set. Between sets, the Countess came several times to talk to Elizabeth to find out more about her. This lady's attention to Miss Bennet made everyone very aware that she was supportive of her. Sir Richard was often with her, talking more calmly now, much to Darcy's annoyance. However, during the last set, Darcy said, "Miss Elizabeth, I hope that you have enjoyed yourself. You have been very popular, just as I had predicted. You have captured a number of hearts today, including Richard's."

"Mr. Darcy, yes I have really enjoyed myself. This has been the highlight of all of my time in London; none of the other entertainments that I have been to can compare to this ball. As for capturing hearts, please do not worry, mine is already taken." She smiled at him when she said this. He unconsciously let out a sigh when she said this and looked very relieved.

When they returned to Darcy House, Georgiana said that she was tired and went up. Darcy said, "Elizabeth, would you like to sit for a while before we go up?" She nodded and he led her into a small sitting room and sat beside her on a sofa. "I cannot tell you how beautiful you look tonight. You are a wonderful lady in every way imaginable. I was so proud to have you on my arm. You outshone every other lady in the room."

She could see that he wanted to ask something important, but she wanted to speak first. She had noted his use of only her first name and decided to do the same. "Fitzwilliam, please let me say something that I have wanted to say for some time. Not long after my very rude rejection of your proposal at Hunsford, I came to regret my decision and especially the words that I used. For the past four years I unconsciously compared every man I met to you and found that none of them were any match to you. I had long hoped that somehow we would meet again so I could tell you that I knew I made a huge mistake. You are the best man I have ever known.

"Fitzwilliam, I hope you still love me as you told me you did in Hunsford. I hope that you will forgive the appalling words that I said to you so long ago. I am not sure if what I feel for you is love, but I do esteem and admire you, very much. If you will forgive me, I know that my admiration and feelings for you will grow until I will be able to say that I have come to love you. Please tell me if you will accept me as I am today."

"Oh, Elizabeth, I have waited so long to hear you say this. Yes, I love you even more, much more, than I did then. I feel that the last four years have been lost to us. We could have been so happy if I had not made such a disastrous proposal. I was a different person then and cannot imagine how I could have said what I did. You were right to reject me then."

She interrupted him by saying, "Fitzwilliam, four years ago you asked me to marry you and I rejected you. If you still feel that way about me, I will marry you whenever you want. I am sure that we will be happy together."

He immediately got down on one knee in front of her and took her hand. "Elizabeth, I love you and want nothing more that to have you as my wife. Will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes! I already said that I would, but I appreciate your gesture. I did not expect it. This is what every girl dreams that a proposal should be like. Now, will you kiss me, or should I kiss you? I have never been kissed and want you to be the one to show me what it feels like."

Their first kiss was gentle and brief, but it was quickly followed by more that lasted much longer as neither wanted them to end. When he finally pulled back from her lips, he began to kiss her cheek, her neck, her décolletage. When he was working his way downwards past the necklace, she ran her hands through his hair and instinctively pushed his head down and took a deep breath to give him more of her to explore with his lips.

When he began to move his lips from her, she sighed, "William, please do not stop. That feels so good. I had no idea that a kiss would make me feel like this. I will do anything you want as long as you do not stop."

"Elizabeth, if I do not stop now, I will not be able to. I want you so much, but I want our wedding night to be special. Please tell me to stop."

She pulled his head up and nestled against his chest. "You are giving me feelings that I have never felt before and did not know even existed. I cannot imagine that there could be more to come on our wedding night. Can we marry as soon as possible? I have waited long enough."

"I agree, but one thing bothers me. We have not seen each other for four years and now it has only been a couple of weeks since we met again. Are you sure these few weeks are long enough for you to be sure of your feelings? If you are sure, I would also like to marry you as soon as possible."

"Fitzwilliam, I do not think of it being just a couple of weeks since we met each other. To me, it is four years plus these last weeks. In the past four years, my feelings for you have been growing. I am confident in my decision to be your wife and know that I will never regret it. Rather than four lost years, we should think of them as four years to make sure we know what we want."

Darcy now sat up straighter and she reluctantly left his chest but kept her arms around him. "Elizabeth, we have several important decisions to make. First of all, Tommy. Please do not worry as I will support anything you want. I would be happy to raise him with our own children." Elizabeth blushed slightly when she thought of their making children together. "I will teach him to be a good master of Longbourn. However, we will probably be spending a lot of time at Pemberley, which is a long way from his and your families. If Bingley and Jane would like to raise him at Netherfield, I will accept that as long as this is what you want. I assume that neither your mother nor your other sisters will want to look after him?"

"No, none of them has as much interest in him as Jane and I do. While I love Tommy as if he were my own son, Jane also loves him and he gets along so well with Anna; they are always getting into mischief together. I know that Charles loves him as well. I know that they would do a good job of raising him if that is what Jane wants. I will talk to her about Tommy. I am just sorry that Mother seems to have completely disregarded him. I cannot understand how she could have disregarded him. He is her son!"

Darcy continued, "The second problem I see is Longbourn. You have been managing it, and very well, for several years. If we spend a lot of time at Pemberley, you will not be on hand for the day-to-day problems that will undoubtedly arise. That may not be very serious if we hire a good steward, and Bingley and your Uncle Philips will be on hand for anything more serious."

"I agree. While I have enjoyed managing Longbourn and believe that I have improved it, I would not mind giving this responsibility to someone else. Besides, as Pemberley sounds like such a large estate, I am sure that its Mistress will be kept busy. We can talk to Charles and my uncles about this as they are the trustees of the estate."

"Where would you like to marry? I assume that you have always thought that it would be in your Meryton church, and I have no problem with that."

"Yes, I would like to marry in Meryton as that is where all of us had always dreamed of marrying. While I would like to marry you tomorrow, or even tonight if that is what you want, I suppose that we should not give rise to too much gossip. If we have the banns read in Meryton, that will give us three weeks to invite our relatives to come to help us celebrate.

"Is there anything else we should think about tonight, or would you rather just kiss me?"

Darcy could not think of any other problems, so he followed his natural impulses and made her as happy as he could while not taking full advantage of her offer to do whatever he wanted this very night. As much as he wanted her, he also wanted their wedding night to be special. Eventually, they went up the stairs and managed to part to go to their separate rooms. Each had wonderful dreams that night.


	19. Chapter 19

In the morning, they told Georgiana their news and she could not have been happier. While she was now too mature to squeal in delight at their news, this is exactly what she wanted to do. Elizabeth, who had wondered if she had been worried about continuing to live with them after their marriage said, "Georgie, I want you to know that you do not have to worry about where you will live. Of course, I would love to have you continue to make your home with us. I have a feeling that it will not be for very long in any case as there are obviously so many fine gentlemen interested in you. I will only ask that you be very choosy before you accept one. Find someone who will respect and love you for yourself and not for your dowry. Of course, if he is handsome, that would be nice! Perhaps not too short and not too fat as well?" They both giggled at this. Darcy was very pleased to see that they got along so well that they could tease each other.

Darcy, Elizabeth, and Georgiana returned to Meryton the next day. Together, they told the Bingleys their news. They all talked about their concerns about Tommy and Longbourn. Bingley quickly assured them that he would gladly assist their uncles with managing the Longbourn estate and would be available to oversee a steward. They even spoke about using the profits from the estate to buy more land so Tommy's inheritance would be greater when he took over.

As for Tommy, they easily agreed that it would be good for him to be raised near Longbourn and most of his relatives, rather than so far away in Derbyshire. Bingley and Jane said that they would love to have him as he was such a good child and was a great playmate for Anna. In the end, knowing that his uncles were his official guardians, they decided to suggest that his care would be shared between the Bingleys and the Darcys, with his spending most of his time at Netherfield but summers at Pemberley. The cost of his care and future schooling would not be a problem as the entire income from Longbourn would be available for him, and for him alone.

They had the first banns read that Sunday, which did not surprise any of the local residents who had seen them at the Assembly. Their wedding would be held soon after the third banns were read, so they did not have much time to invite their relatives to come. The Bingleys graciously told them that, as they had many empty rooms at Netherfield, they would all be made available to any guests who needed a place to stay. Their offer was accepted as they all knew that Longbourn's guest rooms would be insufficient for everyone who was expected to come.

Every relative they invited did come. Longbourn was full to bursting as many of Elizabeth's family wanted to stay there except for her mother, who, as usual, stayed with her husband at the Long's house. While Elizabeth had invited Kitty and Mr. Roper to stay with her, Kitty decided that she would like to stay with Mary and Mr. Towers as she worried that her husband might not be comfortable at Longbourn as it would be so crowded. With the Gardiners and Carters all there, every guest room was full, so Elizabeth shared with the oldest Gardiner daughter, Elaine. Elaine was pleased as she had a lot of questions she wanted to ask about boys and marriage. Elizabeth had to answer her questions very carefully, but she sympathized with her cousin's curiosity as she remembered what she was like at that age.

Both Jane and Aunt Gardiner managed to find time to talk to Elizabeth about what to expect on her wedding night. While her Aunt explained the technical details, Jane was more explicit about the ultimate joys she could expect and gave her suggestions on how to achieve these pleasures. Elizabeth thought that she understood what Jane was describing as she had found a number of opportunities to be alone with her intended and she found that his gentle ministrations had given rise to some very pleasant feelings. If there was more to come, it must be like heaven on earth!

The only friend that Elizabeth invited was Charlotte Collins. She did come with her husband, although Collins had not been enthusiastic to be reminded of the estate that he would no longer inherit as long as Tommy lived. They stayed at the Lucas's house and they did not mingle very much with the other guests. However, they now had two children of their own who soon found playmates among the many children who had come. The Collinses were made to feel quite comfortable with the other young guests, even if they did not enjoy Mr. Collins's company for long. It did not take long for every guest to learn what conversing with Collins was like, so he had a difficult time finding anyone who would listen to him for more than a few minutes at a stretch.

All the Matlocks came and stayed with Darcy at Netherfield. Most of the time before the wedding, everyone gathered there from both estates. Fortunately, they all got along; the Earl and Countess were hesitant at first to meet the Gardiners and Ropers as they were in trade, but were soon won over by their excellent manners and intelligence. When the Gardiner children were introduced to them, they appreciated that each made a very proper greeting to their social superiors.

The only guest who did not appear to be very happy for the engaged couple was Sir Richard, who was still chastising himself for not having followed up on his initial attraction to Miss Elizabeth Bennet once he inherited Rosings and could then afford to marry anyone he wanted. However, as every other person was so happy for them, his disgruntlement soon disappeared and his natural liveliness quickly prevailed.

The church was packed for the ceremony with the many invited guests and local residents who wanted to see this last Bennet daughter happily married. Georgiana accompanied Elizabeth down the aisle, who was given away by her Uncle Gardiner. Bingley stood up with Darcy. The wedding breakfast was held at Netherfield and was just as well-attended. Finally, the newlyweds managed to leave for London as they decided to spend their first week at Darcy House. Georgiana returned to town with the Matlocks for that week to give the new couple time to love in private. This proved to be a good arrangement as the Matlocks made sure she was kept busy with the entertainments that were available at the end of this season.

What can we say about their first night together? It was all that they expected, and more, much more, with their long-suppressed passions being allowed to run free at last. After four lost years, they had much catching-up to do, which they certainly did with enthusiasm.

At the end of their week alone, they finally emerged to visit Georgiana and the Matlocks. They had intended to take Georgiana to Pemberley with them, but she asked if she could remain in town until the very end of the season as she was having such a wonderful time with her success. This they allowed, so Darcy and Elizabeth went up to Pemberley alone. While she had visited the estate four years ago, this time she would arrive as its new Mistress. She quickly found that the staff all welcomed her enthusiastically as they all wanted their Master to be happy. From what they had heard from the staff at Darcy House, not only was Mrs. Darcy a kind and considerate lady, but Mr. Darcy was infatuated with her and she returned his regard just as fervently. They all looked forward to years of happiness and the hopes that the halls of Pemberley would soon be filled with the sound of running little feet and happy laughter.

**EPILOGUE**

The Pemberley staff were not disappointed in their hopes and a son and heir was born within a year of their marriage. He was followed by three more children who proved to be very active and happy, so the nurses, maids, and footmen were kept busy chasing after these little scamps for many years.

Pemberley was visited numerous times by family members and their own growing families. The Bingleys ended up with just three children, the same as Kitty and Mr. Roper. Roper eventually took over his father's business and became quite successful running it. Lydia and Carter ended up with four children. They managed their estate well and were happy together. Mary and Mr. Tower surprised them all when they produced their sixth child. No one had any idea of the depth of the passion they found with each other. Tower soon became the parson at Meryton and proved to be popular, which was widely credited to result from the influence of his wife. They lived a comfortable life in Meryton for many years.

The Bingleys mainly had Tommy except when he went to Pemberley in the summers. He was sent to Eton, then Cambridge, but he wanted only to be a gentleman farmer in Hertfordshire. He was admired around Meryton for his capable running of Longbourn, which had slowly grown in size due to the efforts of Elizabeth, Darcy, Bingley, and Tommy's uncles.

Lady Elford's marriage lasted just ten years before her husband passed to his final reward. While the bulk of his estate, including his Reading house, went to his children, his widow was left with a sum that would ensure she would be comfortable for the rest of her life. With the loss of her Reading home, she decided to move back to Longbourn, which was reopened for her. After graduating from Cambridge with honours, Tommy moved in with her to take over the management of Longbourn. They finally established a good relationship that lasted until she left the earth many years later. Even though he could have had the pick of the many ladies he met in London, he eventually chose a country wife whose father was also just a squire like he was. Just like his sisters, he married for love, not money or position. He and his wife lived quite contentedly in the country with their four children, which included two sons, thus breaking the entail on Longbourn forever.

**Author's Note: **I hope you enjoyed my story. If you are interested, I am currently working on another one, tentatively titled "Warrior with a Parasol."

I read every comment, so please let me know what you think and how I might improve my writing.

The inspiration for the title "Four Lost Years" came from Barry Broadfoot's great book, _Ten Lost Years._

RoniAllan


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